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

Sauté: Sautéing involves cooking food in a pan over direct heat, typically on a stovetop burner. —Johna Burdeos, Health, 20 Jan. 2025

Over the years, Ricky's name was used for various sign-ups—burner emails, promotional offers and even as a placeholder for referrals. —David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025

But during the 10th game of the season, the bunsen burner for Wembanyama started scorching in a historic way. —Zach Harper, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025

Image Image The men were leaning over two large saucepans sitting on burners that had been set to medium low. —Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 29 Dec. 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