combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

combusted; combusting; combusts

: burn

Synonyms

• blaze
• burn
• flame
• glow

Examples of combust in a Sentence

anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal

Recent Examples on the Web

And firefighters in Palm Harbor, Florida, last year warned Tesla owners their rechargeable car batteries could combust if exposed to saltwater after two of the electric vehicles caught fire following submersion. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2024

The chemical element sticks to human skin and can combust spontaneously when exposed to air at temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. —Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2024

Austin McIntosh, a technician, and Kyle Fennig, a research assistant, grabbed a tool to measure how much of the soil had combusted. —Manuela Andreoni, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2024

The debacle of Biden-Trump II was the exception that proves the rule—to meet the threshold for mattering, a sitting President must spontaneously combust on live TV. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

derivative of earlier combust, combusted "burned, consumed," going back to Middle English combust, borrowed from Latin combustus, past participle of combūrere "to destroy with fire, reduce to ashes, calcine," from com- com- + ūrere "to expose to fire, burn, scorch" (with -b- from ambūrere "to burn around, scorch," falsely parsed as am- + būrere) — more at adust

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

: to be or set on fire : burn