burner

noun

burn·​er ˈbər-nər 

plural burners

1

: one that burns: such as

a

: the part of a fuel-burning or heat-producing device (such as a furnace or stove) where the flame or heat is produced

b

: a device for recording data on an optical disk

2

: an athlete who possesses great speed

3

: burner phone

… I leaned over and checked the glove box. There were two cell phones in there, both pre-paid burners with a set number of pre-paid minutes, both still in their drugstore packaging, effectively untraceable if bought with cash …

—Lee Child

4

medical : stinger sense 4

He missed two games late in the season because of what athletic trainers call "cervical burners," a fairly appropriate description of the pain that would originate in Wadsworth's neck and shoot down his body.

—Emily Dorman

see also burner account

Examples of burner in a Sentence

The burner on the furnace isn't working.

The computer comes equipped with a CD burner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Eggers has a bunch of movies on the burners, some in back, some in front. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 20 Dec. 2024

Investigators did not find any electrical issues at the house and learned that the oven and stove burners were all in the off position. —Nikki Battiste, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2024

Stein doesn’t advise using aluminum foil to line drip pans because the foil can reflect heat unevenly, causing issues with how your burners work. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2024

For instance, in a furnace the pilot light ignites a larger burner at the beginning of a heating cycle, then the heat produced by the burner is distributed throughout the home by an internal fan and a series of ducts and vents. —Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing burner

• back burner
• barn burner
• Bunsen burner
• burner account
• burner phone
• front burner
• on the back burner
• on the front burner

Kids Definition

burner

noun

burn·​er ˈbər-nər 

: one that burns: as

a

: the part of a fuel-burning or heat-producing device (as a furnace or stove) where a flame or heat is produced

b

: a device for recording data on an optical disk

Medical Definition

burner

noun

burn·​er ˈbər-nər 

: stinger sense 2