Definition of fire in English:

fire

noun ˈfʌɪəˈfaɪ(ə)r

mass noun

1A process in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke; combustion or burning.
火
his house was destroyed by fire
他的房子被烧毁了。
Example sentencesExamples
- They are also warning of the danger of fire associated with cigarette smoking.
- There was no fire, and no trace that any fire had ever been lit there.
- The different types of nozzles used to deal with different kinds of fire and smoke were also shown.
- Build small, hot fires for maximum burning of volatile gases and for fewer air quality and other safety problems.
- A large fire is usually burning, and many tall diving stories are told.
- It was already very late and the light from the fire was not bright enough to show all the features of Faith's face.
- A fire door will prevent smoke and fire from spreading to other parts of the building.
- You are more likely to die from smoke inhalation than fire.
- The important thing to remember, Mr Ridgway said, is that keeping a building protected from the perils of fire is an ongoing process.
- Even at one in the morning, they did not flinch when a roaring explosion of fire and smoke lit the sky behind them.
- During a total Fire Ban, no fire of any kind may be lit in the open.
- In minutes, a small but bright fire sent a thick stream of black smoke skywards.
- He said sprinklers were effective on all fires and reduced the amount of damage caused by fire, smoke and water.
- When the kill had been made, Jimmy would light a small heather fire to make a smoke signal.
- Away in the distance were fires where people were burning coal, and there would be a light from a forest fire.
- As I tried to make my escape downhill, a cloud of smoke from another fire enveloped me.
- The drapes had been closed and the room was dark except for the flickering light of the dying fire.
- Suddenly a bright light, fire in fact, flared in front of her face, and a torch was lit.
1. 1.1count noun A destructive burning of something.
  火灾
  a fire at a hotel
  酒店的一场火灾。
  Example sentencesExamples
  With the fires still burning deep within the mangled wreckage, it may be months before the area is cleared by health and safety authorities.
  The fire had caused serious smoke and heat damage to the property, he said.
  Those of you who have had fires know how destructive they can be.
  Experts believe more destructive fires are in our future.
  They sat around the fires of the burning town until the sun rose in the East.
  One of the biggest and most destructive of those fires is bearing down on another resort town, Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County.
  Every summer it seems America is reawakened to the destructive forces of forest fires.
  They spent three hours there and the whole house was badly damaged by fire and smoke.
  The Fire Service admitted that it was one of the most destructive fires they had witnessed in a number of years.
  The Siberian northern boreal forests, called Taiga, where the fires were burning are mainly spruce and fir trees.
  This was achieved after improved park management contained the destructive annual fires and reduced livestock grazing and poaching.
  During the riots many small fires, including burning cars, were left to burn for long periods.
  Orange flames lit the sky as fire destroyed a building on Duke Street during the wee hours of yesterday morning.
  Many destructive fires start during such times since potential fire hazards can go unnoticed in the relative darkness.
  The area below her was littered with twisted metal and burning fires.
  At times the reserve staff will start a ‘cold’ fire that is less destructive than latter fires when the grass becomes dry.
  Synonyms
  blaze, conflagration, inferno, holocaust, firestorm
  flames, burning, combustion
2. 1.2count noun A collection of fuel, especially coal or wood, burnt in a controlled way to provide heat or a means for cooking.
  （尤指烧煤或木柴的）炉火，灶火
  we had a bath in a tin tub by the fire
  我们在炉火旁的锡制浴缸里洗了澡。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Much cooking is done in huge pots over a wood fire, stirring ingredients with a long stick.
  Taking another swig of his beer, his eyes came to rest on a stumbling figure walking away from the warmth of the large fire.
  Of course the fire was lit and tea was made on a regular basis.
  Conditions were primitive and patients arrived suffering from malaria, crocodile or snake bites, or burns from open cooking fires.
  Under five sawn-off oil barrels fierce wood fires are burning: on top of them are the woks of giants, each as wide as I can stretch my arms.
  The fire is lit well ahead of time to allow the wood to burn down to non-flaming coals.
  I see myself reclining by a roaring peat fire, glass of whisky in one hand, fat piece of shortbread in the other.
  It shines on both of us, she thought, turning back to the room and her warmly lit fire.
  Yasuko warmly welcomed her inside and offered her a bowl of soup and the warmth of his fire.
  One evening the air grew cold, and so the men went about collecting wood to build a fire.
  A little ahead of the bed he was on, was a small fireplace with a dim lit fire.
  Coal and wood fires smell wonderful but are messy and time-consuming.
  The only need the people had for wood was for fires, and that was provided more than amply enough by the smaller trees scattered along the edge of the forest.
  Columns of smoke from cooking fires and controlled burns seemed to dangle groundward from the sky.
  Women are also responsible for collection of fuel for cooking fires.
  Shivering, through the cold of his body, he dropped to the warmth of the dying fire.
3. 1.3British count noun A domestic heating appliance that uses electricity or gas as fuel.
  she was freezing and keeping the fire low to save money
  Example sentencesExamples
  Over the past three years, there have been 59 deaths and 4,500 injuries from domestic fires in Greater Manchester.
  Features include gas-fired central heating, gas coal-effect fires in both reception rooms and tiled fireplaces in two of the three bedrooms.
  The rules apply to all gas appliances, including central heating boilers, water heaters, fires and cookers.
  He has been undertaking a variety of projects including fitting central heating and fires.
  Similarly, people may gain heat radiating from hot walls, concrete, or sand in a hot environment, as well as from fires or central heating radiators in the cold.
  Synonyms
  heater, radiator, convector
4. 1.4 One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology (considered essential to the nature of the signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius)
  火（古代和中世纪哲学以及占星术中的四大元素之一，被认为对白羊宫、狮子宫和人马宫的自然力必不可少）
  as modifier a fire sign
  Example sentencesExamples
  The five elements of Nature, air, fire, land, water and ether have an effect on every human being.
  People with an emphasis on the fire element tend to be outgoing, inspirational and ‘fiery’.
  The Emperor is often associated with Aries, which is a strong and assertive astrological fire sign.
  Jupiter has rulership in the remaining fire sign Sagittarius, so he is the participating ruler.
  Associated with the element of fire and the sun in astrology, the plant was often used in floral oracle readings.
  For them, fire has its spirits, so do trees and birds and wild animals.
  The gift of the fire signs is creative inspiration, evolving into an endless supply of bright ideas and contagious enthusiasm.
  Like many of his contemporaries, he regarded heat as a physical substance, rather like the ancient elemental fire.
  A chart that is strong in fire will be optimistic, energetic and, as the name implies, fiery.
  A true Sagittarian to the end, little Bonnie Blue, with her parents, completed the element of fire.
  Like all the fire signs, Leos are idealistic and don't hold back from expressing their passion.
  Aries is a fire sign, Cancer a water sign, so this duet is at odds.
2A burning sensation.
火烧似的感觉
count noun the whisky lit a fire in the back of his throat
威士忌让他的喉咙深处火辣辣的。
Example sentencesExamples
- The minute her hand made contact with the metal a very sharp pain that felt like fire ran up her entire arm.
- Brad's eyes bugged out and he clutched his face as pain like fire ripped through his head.
1. 2.1 Fervent or passionate emotion or enthusiasm.
  激情，热情
  the fire of their religious conviction
  他们笃信宗教的热情。
  Example sentencesExamples
  It was played with passion and fire, by a massive orchestra.
  It's weak, saggy and missing even a spark of fire or passion.
  She was tiny too, I guessed barely five feet, and yet she seemed to have fire and passion in her eyes.
  His fear bubbled to the surface, quelling the fire of his enthusiasm as he saw how irregular her breathing was.
  So, in anticipation of the great event, we might as well get into the spirit and put some fire into our bellies too.
  It was a great team effort with the lads playing with fire, passion, determination and a tremendous will to win.
  He does what he does best, puts fire into men's hearts, plants the seeds of war.
  The dancing at Arios is great but what is missing here is fire and passion among the dancers.
  Check it out and remind yourself how real music should be played with fire and skill, heart and soul, love and affection.
  Maybe I would have less passion, less fire, less anger driving me to make the world a better place.
  The prophets of the Temple period opposed paganism with all of their ethical fire and passion.
  Tony's fire and enthusiasm has always been a delight, but desire gets you nowhere by itself.
  There are moments when he shows a glimpse of his old flair and fire but they are just that, moments.
  Naomh Eoin played a fantastic match, full of fire and passion, so much so they were in front for all but 17 minutes.
  Synonyms
  dynamism, energy, vigour, animation, vitality, vibrancy, exuberance, ebullience, zest, elan
  passion, ardour, impetuosity, intensity, zeal, spirit, life, liveliness, verve, vivacity, vivaciousness
  sparkle, scintillation, dash
  enthusiasm, eagerness, gusto
  fervour, fervency, force, potency, vehemence
  inspiration, imagination, creativity, inventiveness, flair
  informal pep, vim, zing, go, get-up-and-go, oomph, pizzazz
2. 2.2literary A glowing or luminous quality.
  their soft smiles light the air like a star's fire
  他们的温柔微笑如星光一般照亮了天空。
3The shooting of projectiles from weapons, especially bullets from guns.
射击，开火；炮火（尤指枪炮射出的子弹）
a burst of machine-gun fire
一阵机枪扫射。
mortar fire
Example sentencesExamples
- The crackle of heavy machine-gun fire echoed across the capital and allied aircraft were heard overhead.
- We expected mortars to be added to the rifle and machinegun fire, but the Germans did not use them.
- Four men were cut down by machine-gun fire in a gangland-style shooting.
- Three hours later a second Chinook sent to rescue him was hit by machine-gun fire and another rocket-propelled grenade.
- Our giggling stopped with a burst followed by an answering burst of machine-gun fire coming from the river about fifty yards away.
- The tube belched fire and the projectile covered the short distance to the tank in an instant.
- A rocket had hit the trunk and it was caught in a hail of machinegun fire but it kept going until it was out of site.
- Automatic weapon fire dissolved the first car in a snowstorm of broken glass.
- On his second tour of duty in Korea, he was cut down by enemy machine-gun fire.
- The enemy met descending paratroopers with heavy small arms and machinegun fire.
- Skirting the village, the group crossed a little canal and came under intense mortar fire.
- Batteries and small groups of infantry were attacked with machine-gun fire.
- The attackers sprayed a truck full of policemen with machine-gun fire.
- A burst of machinegun fire hit the ground in front of them so that they were sprayed by a shower of broken bullets and stones.
- Suddenly it came under a concentrated barrage of German artillery and machinegun fire.
- The spread of radio sets made tactical separation easier and improved the control of artillery and mortar fire.
- He lasted just 24 days at Gallipoli before he was killed by machine-gun fire.
- Almost immediately there was a sustained burst of machine-gun fire just up the road from us here.
- A burst of machine-gun fire from one of the tanks slammed into a wall a few metres away.
- However, in the hail of bullets and recoilless rifle fire, over fifty hostages had been killed.
Synonyms
gunfire, firing, sniping, flak, bombardment
fusillade, volley, barrage, salvo, cannonade
1. 3.1 Strong criticism or antagonism.
  猛烈的批评；敌意
  he directed his fire against policies promoting American capital flight
  他猛烈抨击了促使美国资本外逃的政策。
  Example sentencesExamples
  But it is against Christianity as an organized phenomenon that Russell most directed his fire.
  While his fire was directed mainly at the press, he believes hostility lurks in the government and among the general public.
  You've taken some quick and direct fire on basically asking women to return to the care of children.
  While he has taken most of the flak, the main fire should be directed at his partner.
  Moving on now, a top official fired back today as his government has come under critical fire.
  Critics of this approach - and there are many - direct their fire at two of its arguments.
  He takes hostile fire from the press after jumping into the presidential race.
  This time, his fire will be directed at local officials and police who may not be pulling their weight in the battle against drugs.
  Despite drawing critical fire and reactionary ire, the show's back for a second series.
  She had to flee Guatemala to come to Canada after her work with trade unions put her in direct fire of the local cartels in her home country.
  Hitler himself was occasionally caught in the line of fire of criticism.
  Their fire should be directed at the main parties who have let this situation arise.
  This episode, recorded only by Luke, has come under some serious critical fire.
  Synonyms
  criticism, censure, condemnation, castigation, denunciation, opprobrium, admonishments, vituperation, scolding, chiding
  disapproval, hostility, antagonism, animosity, ill will, enmity
  informal flak, brickbats, knocks, raps

verb ˈfʌɪəˈfaɪ(ə)r

[with object]

1Discharge a gun or other weapon in order to propel (a bullet or projectile)
射出，发射（子弹，抛射体）
he fired a shot at the retreating prisoners
他朝着后退中的囚犯开了一枪。
they fired off a few rounds
他们开了几轮枪。
Example sentencesExamples
- By 1916 he had devised a method to calculate the position from which the projectile was fired very accurately allowing enemy gun locations to be targeted.
- Ammunition stocks disappeared as artillery fired projectiles far in excess of prewar projections.
- They fired a rubber bullet which bounced off the wall and I went to get it.
- A British ballistic missile submarine has fired torpedoes at an American destroyer - all for the sake of research.
- In suppressing the Quebec City protests, Canadian police for the first time used the impact weapon Arwen 37 which fires rubber bullets.
- The moment came, and with the twelfth shot fired off, the bullets ceased and Johner drew back behind the barricade to reload his gun.
- The soldiers firing the projectiles were his heroes.
- If the projectile is fired parallel to the ground, this effect causes the typical downward curved trajectory.
- For the highest pressures, brute force is applied in the form of the shock-wave apparatus, in which a projectile is fired at the sample.
- Firing pin marks on cartridge cases and ejector marks on shells also can be used to provide clues to the type or make of the weapon that fired the bullet.
- Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
- When this projectile is fired into trash piles, trucks, or boxes, it sticks to the target and sends back data.
- Police said rubber bullets were fired, while the union claimed that birdshot had been used.
- The Vulcan works by firing a projectile at high speed into a landmine, ripping it apart without detonating the explosives.
- More than 125 people were arrested and scores more injured by police, who, in addition to tear gas and rubber bullets, fired live ammunition at the workers.
- Warfare is the next step with the powers of hot gas being harnessed to fire projectiles from cannons or small arms.
- Six of the crude projectiles were fired, damaging two houses but causing no injuries.
- Six workers were injured after troops fired plastic bullets and teargas and then baton-charged the crowd.
Synonyms
launch, shoot, discharge, eject, hurl, throw, send flying, let fly with, loose off, shy, send
North American informal pop
shoot, discharge, let off, trigger, set off, blast
let fly with
1. 1.1 Discharge (a gun or other weapon)
  放，开（枪等武器）
  another gang fired a pistol through the window of a hostel
  另一帮人朝一家客栈的窗户里打了一手枪。
  no object troops fired on crowds
  军队朝人群开了枪。
  Example sentencesExamples
  They ran through a block of single story residences, throwing grenades and firing their weapons.
  Airmen, needless to say, showed themselves eager, hurling grenades and firing their weapons at targets on the ground from the earliest days of the war.
  He fired a machine gun and a few small missiles at it.
  He studied the simple pistol grip that fired the main gun.
  They began beating them with clubs, and then fired water cannons at them.
  Only a few weeks ago, there was a small gang of very young children firing an air rifle in the children's area of the park.
  Back in March youngsters fired an air gun rifle at a female youth worker and hit her in the leg.
  Someone fired an air rifle at the rear of the school site and three pupils were slightly injured.
  Even the fun of watching the frigate fire her guns did not help my airsickness.
  It was hard to see the extent of the damage because the windscreen was dirty after firing the gun.
  They spoke of incidents of violence, which included a disabled woman twice narrowly escaping injury from a youth firing an air rifle and a pensioner's pet dog being shot dead.
  A woman on disability benefits narrowly missed being hurt by a youth firing an air rifle - twice in 24 hours.
  Suddenly he heard the distinct noise of a Gatling gun being fired.
  You'll notice in my data that I never reached the factory-specified velocities, firing either carbines or rifles.
  Others have suggested that he held on to the pistol while firing the shotgun one-handed.
  But there were clashes as demonstrators tried to break through and police drove them back, firing water cannons and tear gas.
  A teacher who was jailed for firing an air pistol while confronting a gang of youths outside her home was freed on appeal yesterday.
  Vandals have fired an air rifle at the windows of a pre-school.
  When they fired back, he and his crew fired both guns directly into them.
  The gang fired the gun at the glass security screen of the Post Office in Halifax Road, Cullingworth, at 10 am on Monday but fled empty handed.
2. 1.2no object (of a gun) be discharged.
  （枪、炮）发射；开火
  the first gun fired
  Example sentencesExamples
  The Gatling guns all fired simultaneously, tearing through the rear of the vehicle and into the trunk.
  The three close upon the Dornier with all their guns firing.
  He cracked his neck, and it sounded like a gun firing.
  Mr Reed, who owns his own haulage company, was in the park when he heard an air rifle being fired.
  As the planes flew overhead, all the guns started firing.
  The SAW machine guns began firing through the windows, blowing huge chunks out of the apartment's brick façade.
  Narrowly above him, a machine gun fired into the thin air.
  A scream suddenly echoed throughout the gardens, startling us both, followed by a dull bang that could have been a gun firing and a body hitting the ground.
  Unexpectedly they heard a very distinct sound; a gun firing.
  According to first findings, the guard was shot down with eight or nine bullets from a machine gun fired by an unknown number of assailants who had approached him.
  The guns are firing before they can even start to move.
  However, Leon quickly broke the sound barrier, running to the other side of the Geno, the side where the guns weren't firing.
  The screen showed the gun firing very accurately at a target.
  A second later anti-air guns began firing at the craft.
  The attack on Rommel's lines started with over 800 artillery guns firing at the German lines.
  The guns started firing on the first step I took.
  Within 50 yards the German machine guns started firing and men began to fall.
  I first hear his machine guns firing and I turn my head in shock.
  The two of them moved together, their guns fired almost at the same time, twin weapons discharging loudly into the near silence.
  Only a second later did he begin to charge, his guns firing.
3. 1.3 Direct (questions or statements, especially unwelcome ones) towards someone in rapid succession.
  （向某人）连珠炮似的（或猛烈地）发出（不受欢迎的问题等）
  they fired questions at me for what seemed like ages
  他们没完没了地向我连连发问。
  Example sentencesExamples
  While it may be called speed dating this does not mean you need to fire questions rapidly across the table.
  She fires questions at them, most requiring only basic general knowledge.
  Presumably there were questions fired at him about the fact that he's said to have admitted lying.
  They are also having great fun, absorbed in what they are doing, breaking off only to fire insistent questions at their teacher.
  As the climax approaches, dozens of reporters run onto the stage, firing questions about the scandal in every direction.
  They all faced John Campbell of TV3 who had the task of not only firing the questions but of keeping order, and harder still keeping their answers on track.
  Parents fired questions at the administration about how the institution is dealing with the double cohort.
  Mukesh also faced questions fired by students with characteristic ease.
  The youngsters fired questions on acting, dubbing, editing as well as shooting.
  A huge media pack fired questions as the three, visibly upset, rushed past with their faces covered.
  The questions were fired at the panel in the village institute and all went smoothly.
  However, he still was not content and he fired one more question at me.
  For a quiz programme, it was quite a short one, with the questions being fired rapidly, and answered with equal speed by the contestants.
  And Les, a veteran of such events, said he was hoping to fire some questions at the minister.
  I should add that the stations' hosts were genial even as they fired questions at me that they will have heard other guests or callers refer to repeatedly.
  Synonyms
  throw, toss, fling, pitch, cast, lob, launch, flip, catapult, shy, dash, send, bowl, aim, direct, project, propel, let fly
4. 1.4fire something off Send a message aggressively.
  he fired off a letter informing her that he regarded the matter with the utmost seriousness
  他气愤地给她发了一封信，告诉她说他看待此事非常认真。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The problem with email excess is that people often just fire them off without giving much thought to whether the message was really needed or whether the content was right.
  I fire the email off to about five different places.
  In Tang Hall, 524 people signed objecting letters, and 72 protest letters were fired off to city chiefs.
  As I learned later, Miss Nightingale herself hated all the ‘lady with the lamp’ guff and was much happier ploughing through volumes of public health statistics or firing sharp letters off to cabinet ministers.
  Once you've got your message written, you can fire it off to anywhere in the world for 22 cents.
  He should do his homework before he fires letters off to your paper.
  I fired my letter off to the Speaker immediately.
  He promptly fired a letter off, through his lawyer, declaring he that was confounded by the request that he assent to any such payment.
  So we wrote the letter to the management company, fired it off, got a reply - which was much appreciated - and left it.
  Around 4.5 million emails are fired off by Britain's workforce every day, many of them including non-work related content.
  However, senior Army officials felt differently, firing last-minute faxes off in an effort to stall or defeat the amendment.
  A U-turn only came about when the Evening Advertiser contacted a local MP, who fired a letter off to the Foreign Office.
  ‘Yeah, I had physics, chemistry, biology, maths and general studies,’ he fires them off nonchalantly.
  Jacqueline Clarke as octogenarian pianist Jeanette had the best of the one-liners - firing them off like Mae West in her prime - while Tommy Knight as Jerry's son Nath is a little star in the making.
  Obviously he wasn't getting the attention he craved while we were all asleep on this side of the world, so it must have made sense to type out some bizarre stuff in emails and fire them off to me.
2informal Dismiss (an employee) from a job.
〈非正式〉开除；解雇
I had to fire men who've been with me for years
不得不解雇跟随我多年的人。
you're fired!
你被解雇了！
Example sentencesExamples
- From the start of this year, the president has had the right to effectively hire and fire governors.
- A couple of years ago, a Bell Labs professor was fired over fake data.
- The problem is that the paper has fired this trainee journalist presumably due to public pressure and not, one assumes, some facts of his resume.
- He fired his deputy president for having ties to a businessman who was recently convicted of corruption.
- He also fired the country's prosecutor general as demanded by the opposition.
- He says that in a few instances, solely on account of their bad report cards, he has fired salespeople who were writing up heaps of orders.
- He has fired his attorneys, accusing them of conspiring against him.
- In May 2003, he fired his deputy and two other lawmakers and appointed Mumba to the deputy position.
- As it happens, a few readers have written in to say that firing a couple aides at random might marginally improve the situation as well.
- The constitution gives the powers of hiring or firing magistrates to the Judicial Service Commission, which Gicheru chairs.
- During his trial, he fired his attorney and insisted on representing himself.
- We don't fire professors in the United States for their views when we are in our right minds.
- We should examine why it is virtually impossible to fire a policeman.
- This story apparently came to light when an assistant district attorney was fired for settling the case and not informing his superior.
- There is a reluctance on the part of broadcast executives to fire presenters who stir up public outrage - because it sells.
- A disciplinary hearing was held and the messenger was fired.
Synonyms
dismiss, discharge, give someone their notice, make redundant, lay off, let go, throw out, get rid of, oust, depose
Military cashier
informal sack, give the sack to, axe, kick out, boot out, give someone the boot, give someone the bullet, give someone the (old) heave-ho, give someone the elbow, give someone the push, give someone their marching orders, show someone the door
British informal give someone their cards
3Supply (a furnace, engine, etc.) with fuel.
给（熔炉，引擎，锅炉，发电站）加燃料
liquefied petroleum gas can fire room heaters
Example sentencesExamples
- As a teenager, to help his parents, he'd work double shifts firing engines in rail yards.
- We were constructing wooden housing and using charcoal to fire blast furnaces.
- Because Watt's engine was fired by coal and not water, spinning factories could be located virtually anywhere.
Synonyms
power, charge, stoke up, supply with fuel
1. 3.1no object (of an internal combustion engine) undergo ignition of its fuel when started.
  （内燃机或其汽缸）点火
  the engine fired and she pushed her foot down on the accelerator
  发动机点火后，她踩下了油门。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Over the next few months, the ion engine fires to raise the highest point of its orbit to match the orbit of the Moon.
  As the Spitfire flypast disappeared into the horizon, engines fired into life and the TGP aces flew out of the pit lane to form up the grid.
  Once the trailing satellite has nearly caught up, it fires its engines away from the leading satellite to achieve the same orbit again.
  The engine only fired for a few seconds before shutting off again, and the missile fell.
  Getting behind the car, he pushed with gusto until the engine fired.
  Tension in Mission Control were high, as the engine had to fire while the craft was on the far side of the Moon, and out of radio contact.
  Geordie who was talking to Cameron Shelton brought his conversation to a halt reluctantly, with several false stops like a car that kept on firing after the ignition had been switched on.
  The only practical way to do this is to add some sort of large rocket engine that fires right before impact.
  As they passed outside the larger ship's dock, there was a much larger engine firing.
  Fortunately, the engine fired, the tires went round and round, and the pan didn't leak.
  Its ion-propulsion engine will fire continuously for the next four days to help it stabilise.
  Tension ran high among the engineers when the Vinci engine fired, and the hydrogen and oxygen valves opened in sequence for the first time.
  I could see now the Cyclops taking off, it's engines and jets fired into life and slowly lifted off the ground.
  Lind was able to get to the damned engines before they fired.
  Mars Express orbiter's main engine is firing for Mars Orbit Insertion.
  Synonyms
  ignite, start, catch, get started, get going
2. 3.2usually fire something up Start (an engine or other device)
  with a flick of his wrist he fired up the chainsaw
  he fired up the laptop to find the address of his hostel
  Example sentencesExamples
  After a year's delay, loggers fired up the chainsaws on 4 April.
  A few times every spring and summer, Dad would fire up the old station wagon and drive us all to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.
  You want to shop for something, you don't go to a store, you just fire up a laptop or a smartphone and order it.
  I stumbled to my home office and fired up my laptop to see what the problem was.
  I fired up my DVD player, reclined in my easy chair, and let the film unfurl before me.
  Now is the perfect time to fire up the grill or prepare cool dishes such as salads, sandwiches and chilled soups like gazpacho.
  The wife hopped into the passenger seat with a smile; I fired the engine, dropped the top and we headed off with the sunset.
  When the driver releases the brake pedal, the "extra" battery fires up the engine.
  I rolled out of bed, fired up the computer, and a couple hours later I had the first chapter.
  It rained hard enough to chase us off the lake and back to the cabin to fire up the wood stove.
  Synonyms
  activate, set in motion, switch on, turn on, fire up
3. 3.3archaic Set fire to.
  〈古〉点燃
  I fired the straw
  我点燃了稻草。
4Stimulate or excite (the imagination or an emotion)
激起，唤起（想像，情感）
India fired my imagination
印度让我浮想联翩。
Example sentencesExamples
- Writing and producing in a cross-cultural environment has fired his imagination and he has exploited the situation to the hilt.
- They don't fire the imagination or arouse the passions like the aristocratic love of honor.
- Anything is relevant to the pupil that fires the imagination or extends the mind.
- It is a vision that engages and fires his imagination.
- However, his imagination was fired by classic Westerns he had seen as a child.
- Meera's blind love for Krishna has fired the imagination of many poets.
- It's no wonder the Romans can fire our imaginations, but what values did they hold, to help them to such success?
- In the Dominican Republic, it fired the imagination of a vibrant people.
- Allende's vow to carry out a peaceful Socialist revolution fired the imagination of millions.
- He had been busy accumulating knowledge, and stories told to him by his grandfather and other old-timers had fired his imagination.
- Granada is also resonant with romance, having fired the imagination of Romantic poets and painters two centuries ago.
Synonyms
stimulate, stir up, excite, enliven, awaken, arouse, rouse, draw/call forth, bring out, engender, evoke, inflame, put/breathe life into, animate
inspire, motivate, quicken, incite, drive, impel, spur on, galvanize, electrify, trigger, impassion
1. 4.1 Fill (someone) with enthusiasm.
  使充满热情；激励
  he was fired up for last season's FA Cup final
  上赛季的足协杯决赛令他激动不已。
  Example sentencesExamples
  It is a subject that clearly fires him and he delves enthusiastically into the process of applying for landing slots and the use of cooking oil as a fuel.
  Certainly, running boards and helping nurture companies still fires him, as does his delight in seeing young people progress.
  He was fired with a purpose - to highlight the plight of the poor, suffering masses of India.
  He was ambitious of a wider effect: he was fired with the possibility that he might work out the proof of an anatomical conception and make a link in the chain of discovery.
  Synonyms
  activate, motivate, stimulate, actuate, move, drive, rouse, stir, stir up, arouse, energize, animate, fire
  prompt, incite, spark off, influence, impel, spur on, urge, goad
2. 4.2fire uparchaic no object Show sudden anger.
  〈古〉突然发怒
  If I were to hear anyone speak slightingly of you, I should fire up in a moment
  如果我听见谁言语间瞧不起你，我会立刻火冒三丈。
  Synonyms
  stir up, arouse, rouse, excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, move, fire the enthusiasm of, fire the imagination of, get going, whip up, inflame, agitate, goad, provoke, spur on, urge, encourage, animate, incite, egg on
  North American light a fire under
  rare inspirit
5Bake or dry (pottery, bricks, etc.) in a kiln.
烧制（陶器、砖等）
methane gas is being used to fire bricks at a nearby factory
Example sentencesExamples
- The fire that was built over the pots excluded most of the oxygen which fired the pottery black or charcoal-grey.
- Now here's a chance to try your hand at making, glazing and firing your own Raku pieces.
- Pottery in Texas was fired in a groundhog kiln, so named because part of the kiln is buried in the earth.
- The first porcelain was fired at this manufactory in July 1766.
- He can do chores for you, such as firing your pottery.
- The factory uses combined electricity and coal-fired kilns for firing the bricks.
- When fired in a kiln at 1,250 degrees, the oxides and glass pieces melt to form a beautiful layer.
- Molding something out of clay, decorating it and glazing it, then firing it in the kiln is a fantastic experience for young artists.
- The temperature needed for firing pottery is between 700-1,000 centigrade.
- Clay can also be decorated with paint once it is dry or has been fired in a kiln.
- All methods require that the mould be fired in the kiln; the mould can then be used again for numerous replicas.
- After making the pottery shelters, the children watched as their efforts were fired in a kiln.
- The large size of the animals required both internal and external supports to prevent them from collapsing in the kiln during firing.
- Its lava streams and agricultural fields are made from tiles fired at the museum and from bricks fired by local brickyards.
- People using acrylic paints can take away the finished article, but those who prefer water-based paints must wait a few days while they are glazed and fired in a kiln.
- These are then fired in kilns and collected or posted out the following day.
- The houses and kivas of this period were heated with coal, which was also used for firing pottery.
- The inked tissue was then laid on the once-fired pottery item, and the pottery was glazed and fired again.
- The technique of making majolica begins with firing a piece of earthenware.
- Brick can also be fired to contain numerous color variations within a range of tones appearing in a single brick.

Phrases

breathe fire

Be extremely angry.
盛怒，暴怒
the defeat has left him breathing fire
Example sentencesExamples
- The new health minister entered the ring with the group breathing fire, promising a knock-down, drag-out struggle to the death, vowing there would be no retreat.
- As a strong police posse stood around watching, district fan club members gathered, forming an angry group and breathing fire at the critical references to their hero.
- He has worked with him as a player and a pundit and doesn't see much difference from the gum-chewing manager who used to breathe fire from the dugout.
- The other goon has been taken care of by this time by Alexias so Eavan and Lambeth bear down on the sheriff, Lambeth breathes fire at her and she backs off swearing.
- Scott McLean scored the resulting penalty, but John Lambie was left to breathe fire at his side as Ian Ferguson snatched an unlikely equaliser on 65 minutes.
- He joined the race late and went on rightwing talk radio, breathing fire with a slight southern drawl against abortion, divorce
- You can bet your last dollar if this happened in my school district I would be raising hell so fast and so loud I would be breathing fire.
- I wasn't breathing fire in every scene, but I wanted to get across that he was a psychotic.
- Its new leader, its military wing, are breathing fire essentially.
- Well, to go around with a father who breathes fire every time you go out to someone's house…

catch fire

1Begin to burn.
开始燃烧，着火
the driver had got out before the car had caught fire
Example sentencesExamples
- But nowadays, we very much hope that we don't get cars catching fire.
- After the rectory caught fire and burned down in July 1702, he changed his mind.
- The electricity sparked and sections of the subway began to catch fire.
- The moth eventually catches fire, burns and dies; consumed by the very mystery it sought.
- He spoke to the driver who made no response, and because of his concern that the car could catch fire he disconnected its battery.
- The defendant employed a chauffeur, and on one occasion when he was attempting to start the car it caught fire.
- It was rare that a race report didn't include at least one car catching fire or sailing off course on the top end.
- He said the assault happened when the contents of an aerosol sprayed at the boy's head caught fire, burning his eyebrows and hair.
- In a finely divided form, the metal may catch fire spontaneously and burn vigorously.
- ‘Cars catching fire is a very frequent occurrence in Shanghai,’ Jiang said.
Synonyms
ignite, catch light, burst into flames, go up in flames, begin to burn
1. 1.1Become interesting or exciting.
  〈喻〉吸引人，引起人们的兴趣；激动人心
  the show never caught fire
  演出从来都没有引起过人们的兴趣。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Brian Maloney has an interesting post up about Air America's failure to catch fire with listeners.
  Suddenly history smouldered, warmed up, caught fire and burned into my consciousness.
  September 17 was the day the inquiry caught fire.
  They're just now getting interested in the campaign, but he hasn't caught fire.
  As the game began to catch fire in the States, business proved brisk.
  I think they've really caught fire and really have done something very, very important.
  But unless consumers notice a dramatic change for the better, Firefox could really begin to catch fire - and outfox Internet Explorer.
  The offensive began in Paris just as the market began to catch fire.

fire and brimstone

The supposed torments of hell.
地狱里的磨难
his father was preaching fire and brimstone sermons
他父亲在作有关地狱磨难的布道。
Example sentencesExamples
- In contrast to the old-style fire and brimstone, today's efforts to curb personal freedoms and erode civil liberties are justified in the terms of health and safety.
- With the fire and brimstone of the Old Testament, the parishioner condemns his perversion.
- Rather than turn people onto religion with threats of fire and brimstone, the association of decidedly modern churches' messages open a gentler gateway into the fold.
- A distinct thread of superstition - of curses, of fire and brimstone, and of the inherent existence of evil in human nature - runs throughout.
- After a couple of hours of telling off and hell fire and brimstone the priest was leaving.
- It was on the subject he had been assigned by his apparently normal suburban Catholic school: Hell, and all its fire and brimstone.
- They had hymns, a sermon with fire and brimstone, and all the usual traditional elements.
- Irrespective of all the fire and brimstone, he should do the right thing and immediately withdraw his inconsiderate remarks with a full apology.
- Viki looked at the two sympathetically, these two have been through hell fire and brimstone to be with each other.
- Those, who in their mind did not deserve to uphold the ‘bedrock of society’, would be chastised with fire and brimstone.
Synonyms
the netherworld, the abode of the dead, the land of the dead, the infernal regions, the inferno, the nether regions, the abyss

fire away

informal Used to give someone permission to begin speaking, typically to ask questions.
〈非正式〉用以表示许可请讲，请讲话；请提问
‘I want to clear up some questions which have been puzzling me.’ ‘Fire away.’
“我想澄清一些一直让我困惑的问题。”“请讲。”
Example sentencesExamples
- I patiently waited until he finished, and then told him to fire away.
- As always, this is meant to open up some discussion and feedback, so feel free to fire away.
- And she's going to read from that and then we'll fire away some questions.
- Should you think otherwise, well, I'm a big boy; fire away.
- If any of you reading this article has a question, then fire away!
- Whatever you've always wanted to know, fire away!
- ‘Okay, fire away,’ I replied with a small smirk dancing on my lips.
- I'll have a couple of questions and then we'll have both Christiane and Nic fire away as well.
- If you have a burning question that's of interest to all, fire away.
- He showed up and gave a speech that went: ‘I don't have a speech, but if you have questions, fire away.’

fire in the (or one's) belly

A powerful sense of ambition or determination.
雄心壮志；坚定的决心
he lacks the fire in his belly necessary to seek the presidency
Example sentencesExamples
- It's an attitude, a presence, a fire in your belly.
- That's I think enough for me; I don't know that I have the fire in my belly to try to launch another one and go through the whole thing that happens when you do that.
- He is like a prizefighter determined to show that there is still some fire in his belly.
- The 2003 Jobs with Justice Annual Meeting has left me with a fire in my belly.
- I felt the union needed someone with fire in their belly but even then there were guys warning me that in backing him I would rue the day.
- It gives me more determination and a bit of fire in my belly to prove people wrong.
- If you have a real fire in your belly about an idea, then you need to carry it through’.
- Kilkeel played with fire in their belly and deserved their point.
- Matt from Winnipeg told me, ‘They've put the fire in my belly to fight this for the rest of my life.’
- It's enough if you have the attitude and the fire in your belly.

fire on all cylinders

Work or function at a peak level of performance.
开足马力；鼓足干劲
neither conductor nor orchestra are really firing on all cylinders
Example sentencesExamples
- Last night was a great example of a band firing on all cylinders and while we don't think the new record quite survived the transition to a big label intact, live at least, every song is a killer.
- But I hope to back firing on all cylinders from the middle of January, 2004.
- The forward line needs to be firing on all cylinders, and the team's penalty corner drill needs to be imaginative and forceful.
- Liverpool were still not firing on all cylinders, but were looking good enough to get the win and, at this stage of the season, that's all that matters.
- I feel as if I'm still three or four weeks away (from match fitness), I just feel as if I'm not firing on all cylinders.
- Records are there to be broken and Celtic are firing on all cylinders just now.
- On a technical level, Scorsese is firing on all cylinders, but emotionally the film is a bit distant.
- The Clan came out firing on all cylinders in the first game.
- England have oozed that sort of confidence throughout this current campaign, and have carried on winning even when not firing on all cylinders.
- They say, except for jobs creation, the economy was firing on all cylinders from July through September.

go on fire

Begin to burn; catch fire.
开始燃烧，着火
an oil rig went on fire
Example sentencesExamples
- The Vauxhall was driven into a crash barrier made up of the tyres and either went on fire or was set alight.
- We made a U-turn, a taxi hit us, then the car went on fire but it didn't explode.
- The last time the emergency plan was activated in Mayo was on April 1st, 1999, when a Belmullet factory went on fire.
- ‘We are very thankful to everyone who helped at the scene and to whoever sprayed the car with a fire extinguisher and stopped it going on fire,’ reflected Tom McDonald, father of Tomás.
- No reason cited yet, so far, but 350 barrels of fuel basically went on fire in that area.
- Regular cleaning reduces the risk of equipment going on fire.
- AROUND 360 pupils had to be evacuated from a Bessbrook primary school and sheltered in a nearby church hall after part of the school's roof went on fire.
- A few weeks ago in Newry someone was irresponsible with fireworks and it resulted in an oil tank at the back of a property going on fire.
- When my house goes on fire or when I have a car accident, I want to know that you people will be there for me in an instant.
- A silage harvester went on fire on Tuesday, May 18 at Clone, Aughrim.
- And a coach which goes on fire with passengers in it is a horror which should not happen.
- An oil pipe was cut with an angle grinder and apparently the sparks caused the oil to go on fire.
- Then building after building went on fire, tiny sparks of heat filling the air.
- He was killed when the cottage he was renting went on fire.
- Since it was abandoned after it went on fire, a legacy of lethal radioactive substances remains.
- Following the incident, the emission of sparks from the line caused the area around the line to go on fire.
- She kept wondering what she would do if the equipment went on fire.
- Then disaster strikes and the old home goes on fire.
- It is understood that controlled burning was taking place at the premises around noon but the fire spread to a stack of some 2,000 pallets and as the blaze took hold a 40-foot container filled with cured sheepskin rugs also went on fire.
- A worried mother contacted him after her child had received a leg injury when his coat went on fire.

go through fire (and water)

Face any peril.
赴汤蹈火
Example sentencesExamples
- He has been through a lot, and when a man is tested, you don't know what he's made of until he really goes through fire.
- He became a father-figure to young athletes, who would go through fire for him.
- You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water.
- She would go through fire and ice for Natai, whether she knew it or not.
- The tragedy of this woman lies in the rejection of her awesome sacrifice by the very person for whom she went through fire: her son Bharata.
- The psalmist exemplifies this attitude and praises God, ‘Israel's deliverer,’ who has ‘given life to our souls,’ for although ‘we went through fire and water… you have led us out to refreshment.’
- You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

light a fire under

Stimulate (someone) to work or act more quickly or enthusiastically.
〈北美〉激励某人更快（或更加热情）地工作（或办事）
claiming that Congress doesn't work hard enough is a good way to light a fire under his colleagues
Example sentencesExamples
- I think that lights a fire under the Senators to do their work quickly.
- Suddenly he remembered something that lit a fire under him.
- Meanwhile, the musical subculture Tee helped build is lighting a fire under more traditional DJs looking to add some new sounds to their sets.
- This is the type of bold move that will light a fire under the Yankees.
- They can move mountains with their enthusiasm and energy and light a fire under almost anything.
- Eventually, I think, something will happen, some spark will be set off that lights a fire under this market.
- Massenet's strong yet impulsively teenager-ish heroine seems to have lit a fire under her, because here she is at her best.
- I'm ready to do everything I can to make a difference and light a fire under people.
- Maybe if I fire a couple of laggards that'll light a fire under them!
- I hope this challenge to his position lights a fire under his coat tails because he has the capacity to be an excellent trial attorney.
Synonyms
encourage, act as a fillip to, act as a impetus to, act as a incentive to, act as a spur to, act as a stimulus to, prompt, prod, move, motivate, trigger, spark, spur on, galvanize, activate, kindle, fire, fire with enthusiasm, fuel, whet, nourish

on fire

1In flames; burning.
起火，着火；在燃烧
the house was on fire
Example sentencesExamples
- He claimed her neighbour's house was on fire and said she had to grab her valuables and leave.
- She had realised her house was on fire when she touched a door handle and discovered it was hot.
- The intrepid dad ran outside to find his van was on fire and flames were spreading to the front of his home.
- If your house was on fire, what one item would you grab as you dashed to safety?
- A terraced house was on fire, with smoke and flames pouring from the ground and first floor windows.
- He recounts the time a journalist asked him what three things he would save were his house on fire.
- A log in that unsightly pile writhed as if it were already on fire, though the flames had not quite reached it.
- A next door neighbour, who called the fire brigade, said at first she thought it was her house which was on fire.
- When they looked outside they realised one of the houses was on fire and screams were heard.
- With another soldier, he helped remove a sideboard from a house that was on fire at the request of the woman who lived there.
Synonyms
burning, ablaze, blazing, aflame, in flames, flaming, raging, fiery
1. 1.1In a state of excitement.
  处于激动（或兴奋）状态
  Wright is now on fire with confidence
  赖特现在信心十足。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Paddy Murray was on fire and rattled over five exquisite points in a blistering opening half.
  The crowd was literally on fire, as couples jived as if there was no tomorrow.
  York were on fire and skipper for the day Sean Bass picked up an awkward pass off his toes.
  After a poor performance in Cork the previous weekend the home side were always going to come out on fire.
  The troupe was literally on fire, as they turned, swayed and bent showing amazing skills.
  He was on fire in the opening 20 minutes but he was also guilty of a lack of finishing touch.
  Trevor Smullen, in the other corner, was also on fire, landing five points from play.
  They are on fire, a team full of confidence and ability and belief in each other.
  Pat Harte was on fire for the entire sixty minutes and scored some crucial points during the game.
  Synonyms
  ardent, passionate, fervent, intense, excited, aflutter

return fire

Retaliate by shooting back.
police returned fire and wounded him
Example sentencesExamples
- A seven-year veteran of the army, he grabs his rifle and returns fire.
- The sheriff said three other officers returned fire.
- In self-defence, the force immediately returned fire and killed the two aggressors.
- If there is an extraction of our people, they can return fire to defend themselves.
- His fellow guards returned fire, wounding the suspect, his name.
- Troops were attacked by grenades and small arms and returned fire, killing three.
- The Ministry of Defence said that the soldiers returned fire after coming under attack.

set fire to

Cause to burn; ignite.
点燃，放火烧，使燃烧
the town's police station was set on fire
Example sentencesExamples
- Toilet blocks were set on fire and lighting masts pulled down during a two-hour rampage that caused damage estimated at £250,000.
- Giggling nervously, one girl lit a match and set a twig on fire.
- He said his own radio had been burned when their vehicle had been set on fire.
- We have had fires galore and one family was burnt out when someone set a wheelie bin on fire in their porch.
- Miraculously he never burned himself or set the house on fire.
- She then lit a match, setting the goo on fire, and brushed up the ashes.
- Under the watchful eye of the local fire department, we set the test facility on fire.
- It set the entire area on fire, burning down trees, grass, animals, and anything else that got in its way.
- Since then her home has been set on fire and her car torched once, stolen twice and broken into three times.
- Hundreds of young men attacked the newspaper's office on Wednesday, set it on fire and burned copies of the paper.
Synonyms
light, ignite, kindle, set fire to, set on fire, set alight, set ablaze, put a match to, touch off, spark off, incinerate

set the world on fire (also set the world alight)

Do something remarkable or sensational.
做出引起轰动（或惊世骇俗）的事
the film hasn't exactly set the world on fire
这部影片并没有真正引起轰动。
the team includes great players who could set the world alight
Synonyms
succeed, achieve success, be successful, be a success, do well, get ahead, reach the top, become famous, achieve recognition, distinguish oneself, set the world on fire

take fire

Start to burn.
开始燃烧，着火
petrol from the upturned car flooded across the street and took fire

under fire

1Being shot at.
遭到炮火的袭击
observers sent to look for the men came under heavy fire
派去寻找那些人的观察员遭到了一场密集的炮火袭击。
Example sentencesExamples
- My unit is the first unit to build under fire since World War II over the Rhine River.
- It was one of the first beach landings of the war, and the Americans came under fire.
- Armies would thus come under fire long before they could even see their enemy, let alone attack his positions.
- At Pourville, too, the South Saskatchewan Regiment beached without coming under fire.
- Many tales of Harrison's heroism and bravery under fire were retold by veterans.
- The following year Banting received the Military Cross for bravery under fire.
- They were under fire from the enemy, but their service and skills were needed desperately.
- Sgt Cox showed personal courage and skill while under fire from hostile militia.
- He was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in treating casualties under fire in the desert.
- Instructions were, should the ship come under fire, to tend wounded regardless of their own safety.
1. 1.1Being rigorously criticized.
  遭到严厉批评
  the president was under fire from all sides
  校长遭到了各方的严厉批评。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The council is currently investigating the way it is run after coming under fire for its handling of a number of key issues in the town over the last year.
  A public schools district plan to teach a bible course is coming under fire from critics.
  The four-sided, four metre-high sculpture came under fire from critics who branded it a waste of money.
  The penny seems to have dropped at head office, which has been under fire from critics for its woeful neglect of its European operations.
  He is already under fire from critics in his own party for failing to return immediately to Washington once the hijackings got under way.
  The government also came under fire for not putting enough resources into education and social services.
  Actors, directors and critics all come under fire as we are invited to laugh at the melodramatic play within a play.
  Plans for a £5 surcharge on speeding tickets to fund victim support services came under fire last night.
  The society's leadership is now under fire from numerous critics in academia and the science community.
  Charter airlines based at Manchester Airport have come under fire in a critical consumer survey.

where's the fire?

informal Used to ask someone why they are in such a hurry or state of excitement.
〈非正式〉干吗这么急（或兴奋）？
‘Where's the fire?’ he demanded, as Sergeant Ellers turned on the siren

Derivatives

fireless

adjective

There are many thousand fireless hearth places in Dublin on the bitterest days of winter. 20,000 families live in one-room tenements.
Example sentencesExamples
- A pot of water was sitting on the fireless hearth, and Mrs. Watts was nowhere in sight.
- The author cites Victorian novels showing that a smoky hearth symbolized the warmth and comfort of a loving family, while a fireless house indicated destitution.
- ‘Well, here we have it all,’ she said, turning to Wolf wearily, ‘the stuff of the common life: an empty pot, a bed of dry leaves, and soon a fireless hearth.’
- He was standing at the fireless fireplace, looking at some of our family photos and glanced up when I walked in.

firer

noun

A weapons amnesty, covering firearms, imitations, air weapons and blank firers, together with knives and other weapons, was launched across Surrey this week.
Example sentencesExamples
- The army selected 12 firers from the top 52 for its initial sniper class.
- So you have a lot more flexibility if you're the hirer and the firer.
- More than half of all the guns relinquished in Greater Manchester were ‘airsoft’ weapons like plastic-pellet firers, or ball-bearing guns and replica firearms.
- We've had air and soft air pistols, air rifles, blank firers and replica guns surrendered, which is an excellent result.

Origin

Old English fȳr (noun), fȳrian 'supply with material for a fire', of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer.

In ancient and medieval thought fire was seen, along with water, air, and earth, as one of the four elements. The word goes back to an ancient root that also gave us the Greek word for fire, pur, the source of pyre (mid 17th century) and pyromaniac (mid 19th century). The phrase fire and brimstone is a traditional description of the torments of hell. In the biblical book of Revelation there is a reference to ‘a lake of fire burning with brimstone’. Brimstone (Old English) is an old word for sulphur, and literally means ‘burning stone’. A fire-and-brimstone sermon is one that gives vivid warning of the dangers of going to hell if you misbehave. To set the world on fire is to do something remarkable. An earlier British version was to set the Thames on fire, and a Scottish one is set the heather on fire. Whichever version is used, it tends to be with a negative implication. In Anthony Trollope's novel The Eustace Diamonds (1873) Lady Glencora is clear about the limitations of ‘poor Lord Fawn’ who ‘will never set the Thames on fire’.

Rhymes

acquire, admire, afire, applier, aspire, attire, ayah, backfire, barbwire, bemire, briar, buyer, byre, choir, conspire, crier, cryer, defier, denier, desire, dire, drier, dryer, dyer, enquire, entire, esquire, expire, flyer, friar, fryer, Gaia, gyre, hellfire, hire, hiya, ire, Isaiah, jambalaya, Jeremiah, Josiah, Kintyre, latria, liar, lyre, Maia, Maya, Mayer, messiah, mire, misfire, Nehemiah, Obadiah, papaya, pariah, peripeteia, perspire, playa, Praia, prior, pyre, quire, replier, scryer, shire, shyer, sire, skyer, Sophia, spire, squire, supplier, Surabaya, suspire, tier, tire, transpire, trier, tumble-dryer, tyre, Uriah, via, wire, Zechariah, Zedekiah, Zephaniah

Definition of fire in US English:

fire

nounˈfī(ə)rˈfaɪ(ə)r

1Combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.
火
his house was destroyed by fire
他的房子被烧毁了。
Example sentencesExamples
- You are more likely to die from smoke inhalation than fire.
- In minutes, a small but bright fire sent a thick stream of black smoke skywards.
- As I tried to make my escape downhill, a cloud of smoke from another fire enveloped me.
- There was no fire, and no trace that any fire had ever been lit there.
- Even at one in the morning, they did not flinch when a roaring explosion of fire and smoke lit the sky behind them.
- When the kill had been made, Jimmy would light a small heather fire to make a smoke signal.
- The different types of nozzles used to deal with different kinds of fire and smoke were also shown.
- The important thing to remember, Mr Ridgway said, is that keeping a building protected from the perils of fire is an ongoing process.
- Away in the distance were fires where people were burning coal, and there would be a light from a forest fire.
- Build small, hot fires for maximum burning of volatile gases and for fewer air quality and other safety problems.
- It was already very late and the light from the fire was not bright enough to show all the features of Faith's face.
- A fire door will prevent smoke and fire from spreading to other parts of the building.
- During a total Fire Ban, no fire of any kind may be lit in the open.
- The drapes had been closed and the room was dark except for the flickering light of the dying fire.
- Suddenly a bright light, fire in fact, flared in front of her face, and a torch was lit.
- They are also warning of the danger of fire associated with cigarette smoking.
- He said sprinklers were effective on all fires and reduced the amount of damage caused by fire, smoke and water.
- A large fire is usually burning, and many tall diving stories are told.
1. 1.1 A destructive burning of something.
  火灾
  a fire at a hotel
  酒店的一场火灾。
  Example sentencesExamples
  During the riots many small fires, including burning cars, were left to burn for long periods.
  They spent three hours there and the whole house was badly damaged by fire and smoke.
  This was achieved after improved park management contained the destructive annual fires and reduced livestock grazing and poaching.
  With the fires still burning deep within the mangled wreckage, it may be months before the area is cleared by health and safety authorities.
  Orange flames lit the sky as fire destroyed a building on Duke Street during the wee hours of yesterday morning.
  Many destructive fires start during such times since potential fire hazards can go unnoticed in the relative darkness.
  The Fire Service admitted that it was one of the most destructive fires they had witnessed in a number of years.
  The area below her was littered with twisted metal and burning fires.
  They sat around the fires of the burning town until the sun rose in the East.
  One of the biggest and most destructive of those fires is bearing down on another resort town, Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County.
  The Siberian northern boreal forests, called Taiga, where the fires were burning are mainly spruce and fir trees.
  Those of you who have had fires know how destructive they can be.
  Every summer it seems America is reawakened to the destructive forces of forest fires.
  The fire had caused serious smoke and heat damage to the property, he said.
  Experts believe more destructive fires are in our future.
  At times the reserve staff will start a ‘cold’ fire that is less destructive than latter fires when the grass becomes dry.
  Synonyms
  blaze, conflagration, inferno, holocaust, firestorm
2. 1.2 A collection of fuel, especially wood or coal, burned in a controlled way to provide heat or a means for cooking.
  （尤指烧煤或木柴的）炉火，灶火
  our small kettle was kept constantly on the fire
  Example sentencesExamples
  Of course the fire was lit and tea was made on a regular basis.
  Much cooking is done in huge pots over a wood fire, stirring ingredients with a long stick.
  I see myself reclining by a roaring peat fire, glass of whisky in one hand, fat piece of shortbread in the other.
  Conditions were primitive and patients arrived suffering from malaria, crocodile or snake bites, or burns from open cooking fires.
  Taking another swig of his beer, his eyes came to rest on a stumbling figure walking away from the warmth of the large fire.
  Under five sawn-off oil barrels fierce wood fires are burning: on top of them are the woks of giants, each as wide as I can stretch my arms.
  Women are also responsible for collection of fuel for cooking fires.
  Columns of smoke from cooking fires and controlled burns seemed to dangle groundward from the sky.
  It shines on both of us, she thought, turning back to the room and her warmly lit fire.
  One evening the air grew cold, and so the men went about collecting wood to build a fire.
  The only need the people had for wood was for fires, and that was provided more than amply enough by the smaller trees scattered along the edge of the forest.
  The fire is lit well ahead of time to allow the wood to burn down to non-flaming coals.
  Shivering, through the cold of his body, he dropped to the warmth of the dying fire.
  Yasuko warmly welcomed her inside and offered her a bowl of soup and the warmth of his fire.
  Coal and wood fires smell wonderful but are messy and time-consuming.
  A little ahead of the bed he was on, was a small fireplace with a dim lit fire.
3. 1.3 One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Aries is a fire sign, Cancer a water sign, so this duet is at odds.
  The gift of the fire signs is creative inspiration, evolving into an endless supply of bright ideas and contagious enthusiasm.
  A chart that is strong in fire will be optimistic, energetic and, as the name implies, fiery.
  Like all the fire signs, Leos are idealistic and don't hold back from expressing their passion.
  For them, fire has its spirits, so do trees and birds and wild animals.
  A true Sagittarian to the end, little Bonnie Blue, with her parents, completed the element of fire.
  Jupiter has rulership in the remaining fire sign Sagittarius, so he is the participating ruler.
  People with an emphasis on the fire element tend to be outgoing, inspirational and ‘fiery’.
  Like many of his contemporaries, he regarded heat as a physical substance, rather like the ancient elemental fire.
  The five elements of Nature, air, fire, land, water and ether have an effect on every human being.
  Associated with the element of fire and the sun in astrology, the plant was often used in floral oracle readings.
  The Emperor is often associated with Aries, which is a strong and assertive astrological fire sign.
2A burning sensation in the body.
火烧似的感觉
the whiskey lit a fire in the back of his throat
威士忌让他的喉咙深处火辣辣的。
Example sentencesExamples
- The minute her hand made contact with the metal a very sharp pain that felt like fire ran up her entire arm.
- Brad's eyes bugged out and he clutched his face as pain like fire ripped through his head.
1. 2.1 Fervent or passionate emotion or enthusiasm.
  激情，热情
  the fire of their religious conviction
  他们笃信宗教的热情。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Check it out and remind yourself how real music should be played with fire and skill, heart and soul, love and affection.
  Naomh Eoin played a fantastic match, full of fire and passion, so much so they were in front for all but 17 minutes.
  The prophets of the Temple period opposed paganism with all of their ethical fire and passion.
  Maybe I would have less passion, less fire, less anger driving me to make the world a better place.
  Tony's fire and enthusiasm has always been a delight, but desire gets you nowhere by itself.
  She was tiny too, I guessed barely five feet, and yet she seemed to have fire and passion in her eyes.
  His fear bubbled to the surface, quelling the fire of his enthusiasm as he saw how irregular her breathing was.
  There are moments when he shows a glimpse of his old flair and fire but they are just that, moments.
  He does what he does best, puts fire into men's hearts, plants the seeds of war.
  The dancing at Arios is great but what is missing here is fire and passion among the dancers.
  It was a great team effort with the lads playing with fire, passion, determination and a tremendous will to win.
  It's weak, saggy and missing even a spark of fire or passion.
  So, in anticipation of the great event, we might as well get into the spirit and put some fire into our bellies too.
  It was played with passion and fire, by a massive orchestra.
  Synonyms
  dynamism, energy, vigour, animation, vitality, vibrancy, exuberance, ebullience, zest, elan
2. 2.2literary Luminosity; glow.
  〈诗/文〉光明，光辉；光亮
  their soft smiles light the air like a star's fire
  他们的温柔微笑如星光一般照亮了天空。
3The shooting of projectiles from weapons, especially bullets from guns.
射击，开火；炮火（尤指枪炮射出的子弹）
a burst of machine-gun fire
一阵机枪扫射。
Example sentencesExamples
- We expected mortars to be added to the rifle and machinegun fire, but the Germans did not use them.
- A burst of machinegun fire hit the ground in front of them so that they were sprayed by a shower of broken bullets and stones.
- A burst of machine-gun fire from one of the tanks slammed into a wall a few metres away.
- Almost immediately there was a sustained burst of machine-gun fire just up the road from us here.
- The crackle of heavy machine-gun fire echoed across the capital and allied aircraft were heard overhead.
- The attackers sprayed a truck full of policemen with machine-gun fire.
- Four men were cut down by machine-gun fire in a gangland-style shooting.
- Suddenly it came under a concentrated barrage of German artillery and machinegun fire.
- The enemy met descending paratroopers with heavy small arms and machinegun fire.
- The tube belched fire and the projectile covered the short distance to the tank in an instant.
- He lasted just 24 days at Gallipoli before he was killed by machine-gun fire.
- Batteries and small groups of infantry were attacked with machine-gun fire.
- Our giggling stopped with a burst followed by an answering burst of machine-gun fire coming from the river about fifty yards away.
- However, in the hail of bullets and recoilless rifle fire, over fifty hostages had been killed.
- Skirting the village, the group crossed a little canal and came under intense mortar fire.
- A rocket had hit the trunk and it was caught in a hail of machinegun fire but it kept going until it was out of site.
- Automatic weapon fire dissolved the first car in a snowstorm of broken glass.
- On his second tour of duty in Korea, he was cut down by enemy machine-gun fire.
- Three hours later a second Chinook sent to rescue him was hit by machine-gun fire and another rocket-propelled grenade.
- The spread of radio sets made tactical separation easier and improved the control of artillery and mortar fire.
Synonyms
gunfire, firing, sniping, flak, bombardment
1. 3.1 Strong criticism or antagonism.
  猛烈的批评；敌意
  he directed his fire against policies promoting American capital flight
  他猛烈抨击了促使美国资本外逃的政策。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Hitler himself was occasionally caught in the line of fire of criticism.
  Moving on now, a top official fired back today as his government has come under critical fire.
  But it is against Christianity as an organized phenomenon that Russell most directed his fire.
  This episode, recorded only by Luke, has come under some serious critical fire.
  He takes hostile fire from the press after jumping into the presidential race.
  This time, his fire will be directed at local officials and police who may not be pulling their weight in the battle against drugs.
  Critics of this approach - and there are many - direct their fire at two of its arguments.
  You've taken some quick and direct fire on basically asking women to return to the care of children.
  Their fire should be directed at the main parties who have let this situation arise.
  She had to flee Guatemala to come to Canada after her work with trade unions put her in direct fire of the local cartels in her home country.
  While he has taken most of the flak, the main fire should be directed at his partner.
  Despite drawing critical fire and reactionary ire, the show's back for a second series.
  While his fire was directed mainly at the press, he believes hostility lurks in the government and among the general public.
  Synonyms
  criticism, censure, condemnation, castigation, denunciation, opprobrium, admonishments, vituperation, scolding, chiding

verbˈfī(ə)rˈfaɪ(ə)r

[with object]

1Discharge a gun or other weapon in order to explosively propel (a bullet or projectile)
射出，发射（子弹，抛射体）
he fired a shot at the retreating prisoners
他朝着后退中的囚犯开了一枪。
they fired off a few rounds
他们开了几轮枪。
Example sentencesExamples
- Firing pin marks on cartridge cases and ejector marks on shells also can be used to provide clues to the type or make of the weapon that fired the bullet.
- The moment came, and with the twelfth shot fired off, the bullets ceased and Johner drew back behind the barricade to reload his gun.
- A British ballistic missile submarine has fired torpedoes at an American destroyer - all for the sake of research.
- The Vulcan works by firing a projectile at high speed into a landmine, ripping it apart without detonating the explosives.
- For the highest pressures, brute force is applied in the form of the shock-wave apparatus, in which a projectile is fired at the sample.
- By 1916 he had devised a method to calculate the position from which the projectile was fired very accurately allowing enemy gun locations to be targeted.
- Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
- The soldiers firing the projectiles were his heroes.
- Warfare is the next step with the powers of hot gas being harnessed to fire projectiles from cannons or small arms.
- Ammunition stocks disappeared as artillery fired projectiles far in excess of prewar projections.
- They fired a rubber bullet which bounced off the wall and I went to get it.
- More than 125 people were arrested and scores more injured by police, who, in addition to tear gas and rubber bullets, fired live ammunition at the workers.
- In suppressing the Quebec City protests, Canadian police for the first time used the impact weapon Arwen 37 which fires rubber bullets.
- Six workers were injured after troops fired plastic bullets and teargas and then baton-charged the crowd.
- Six of the crude projectiles were fired, damaging two houses but causing no injuries.
- Police said rubber bullets were fired, while the union claimed that birdshot had been used.
- When this projectile is fired into trash piles, trucks, or boxes, it sticks to the target and sends back data.
- If the projectile is fired parallel to the ground, this effect causes the typical downward curved trajectory.
Synonyms
launch, shoot, discharge, eject, hurl, throw, send flying, let fly with, loose off, shy, send
shoot, discharge, let off, trigger, set off, blast
1. 1.1 Discharge (a gun or other weapon)
  放，开（枪等武器）
  no object troops fired on crowds
  军队朝人群开了枪。
  another gang fired a pistol
  Example sentencesExamples
  Only a few weeks ago, there was a small gang of very young children firing an air rifle in the children's area of the park.
  A woman on disability benefits narrowly missed being hurt by a youth firing an air rifle - twice in 24 hours.
  They began beating them with clubs, and then fired water cannons at them.
  A teacher who was jailed for firing an air pistol while confronting a gang of youths outside her home was freed on appeal yesterday.
  When they fired back, he and his crew fired both guns directly into them.
  Even the fun of watching the frigate fire her guns did not help my airsickness.
  He fired a machine gun and a few small missiles at it.
  Others have suggested that he held on to the pistol while firing the shotgun one-handed.
  But there were clashes as demonstrators tried to break through and police drove them back, firing water cannons and tear gas.
  They spoke of incidents of violence, which included a disabled woman twice narrowly escaping injury from a youth firing an air rifle and a pensioner's pet dog being shot dead.
  It was hard to see the extent of the damage because the windscreen was dirty after firing the gun.
  Airmen, needless to say, showed themselves eager, hurling grenades and firing their weapons at targets on the ground from the earliest days of the war.
  He studied the simple pistol grip that fired the main gun.
  Vandals have fired an air rifle at the windows of a pre-school.
  You'll notice in my data that I never reached the factory-specified velocities, firing either carbines or rifles.
  Someone fired an air rifle at the rear of the school site and three pupils were slightly injured.
  The gang fired the gun at the glass security screen of the Post Office in Halifax Road, Cullingworth, at 10 am on Monday but fled empty handed.
  Suddenly he heard the distinct noise of a Gatling gun being fired.
  They ran through a block of single story residences, throwing grenades and firing their weapons.
  Back in March youngsters fired an air gun rifle at a female youth worker and hit her in the leg.
2. 1.2no object (of a gun) be discharged.
  （枪、炮）发射；开火
  Example sentencesExamples
  Within 50 yards the German machine guns started firing and men began to fall.
  I first hear his machine guns firing and I turn my head in shock.
  The guns are firing before they can even start to move.
  Only a second later did he begin to charge, his guns firing.
  The Gatling guns all fired simultaneously, tearing through the rear of the vehicle and into the trunk.
  According to first findings, the guard was shot down with eight or nine bullets from a machine gun fired by an unknown number of assailants who had approached him.
  The SAW machine guns began firing through the windows, blowing huge chunks out of the apartment's brick façade.
  The three close upon the Dornier with all their guns firing.
  Mr Reed, who owns his own haulage company, was in the park when he heard an air rifle being fired.
  A scream suddenly echoed throughout the gardens, startling us both, followed by a dull bang that could have been a gun firing and a body hitting the ground.
  The screen showed the gun firing very accurately at a target.
  The attack on Rommel's lines started with over 800 artillery guns firing at the German lines.
  Unexpectedly they heard a very distinct sound; a gun firing.
  As the planes flew overhead, all the guns started firing.
  Narrowly above him, a machine gun fired into the thin air.
  He cracked his neck, and it sounded like a gun firing.
  A second later anti-air guns began firing at the craft.
  The guns started firing on the first step I took.
  The two of them moved together, their guns fired almost at the same time, twin weapons discharging loudly into the near silence.
  However, Leon quickly broke the sound barrier, running to the other side of the Geno, the side where the guns weren't firing.
3. 1.3 Direct (questions or statements, especially unwelcome ones) toward someone in rapid succession.
  （向某人）连珠炮似的（或猛烈地）发出（不受欢迎的问题等）
  they fired questions at me for what seemed like ages
  他们没完没了地向我连连发问。
  Example sentencesExamples
  I should add that the stations' hosts were genial even as they fired questions at me that they will have heard other guests or callers refer to repeatedly.
  For a quiz programme, it was quite a short one, with the questions being fired rapidly, and answered with equal speed by the contestants.
  Mukesh also faced questions fired by students with characteristic ease.
  And Les, a veteran of such events, said he was hoping to fire some questions at the minister.
  However, he still was not content and he fired one more question at me.
  The questions were fired at the panel in the village institute and all went smoothly.
  While it may be called speed dating this does not mean you need to fire questions rapidly across the table.
  Presumably there were questions fired at him about the fact that he's said to have admitted lying.
  The youngsters fired questions on acting, dubbing, editing as well as shooting.
  They all faced John Campbell of TV3 who had the task of not only firing the questions but of keeping order, and harder still keeping their answers on track.
  She fires questions at them, most requiring only basic general knowledge.
  A huge media pack fired questions as the three, visibly upset, rushed past with their faces covered.
  As the climax approaches, dozens of reporters run onto the stage, firing questions about the scandal in every direction.
  Parents fired questions at the administration about how the institution is dealing with the double cohort.
  They are also having great fun, absorbed in what they are doing, breaking off only to fire insistent questions at their teacher.
  Synonyms
  throw, toss, fling, pitch, cast, lob, launch, flip, catapult, shy, dash, send, bowl, aim, direct, project, propel, let fly
4. 1.4fire something off Send a message aggressively, especially as one of a series.
  怒气冲冲地寄发（短信，尤指一系列的短信之一）
  he fired off a letter informing her that he regarded the matter with the utmost seriousness
  他气愤地给她发了一封信，告诉她说他看待此事非常认真。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Around 4.5 million emails are fired off by Britain's workforce every day, many of them including non-work related content.
  The problem with email excess is that people often just fire them off without giving much thought to whether the message was really needed or whether the content was right.
  I fired my letter off to the Speaker immediately.
  A U-turn only came about when the Evening Advertiser contacted a local MP, who fired a letter off to the Foreign Office.
  Once you've got your message written, you can fire it off to anywhere in the world for 22 cents.
  However, senior Army officials felt differently, firing last-minute faxes off in an effort to stall or defeat the amendment.
  He promptly fired a letter off, through his lawyer, declaring he that was confounded by the request that he assent to any such payment.
  ‘Yeah, I had physics, chemistry, biology, maths and general studies,’ he fires them off nonchalantly.
  He should do his homework before he fires letters off to your paper.
  So we wrote the letter to the management company, fired it off, got a reply - which was much appreciated - and left it.
  I fire the email off to about five different places.
  In Tang Hall, 524 people signed objecting letters, and 72 protest letters were fired off to city chiefs.
  Obviously he wasn't getting the attention he craved while we were all asleep on this side of the world, so it must have made sense to type out some bizarre stuff in emails and fire them off to me.
  As I learned later, Miss Nightingale herself hated all the ‘lady with the lamp’ guff and was much happier ploughing through volumes of public health statistics or firing sharp letters off to cabinet ministers.
  Jacqueline Clarke as octogenarian pianist Jeanette had the best of the one-liners - firing them off like Mae West in her prime - while Tommy Knight as Jerry's son Nath is a little star in the making.
2informal Dismiss (an employee) from a job.
〈非正式〉开除；解雇
having to fire men who've been with me for years
不得不解雇跟随我多年的人。
you're fired!
你被解雇了！
Example sentencesExamples
- In May 2003, he fired his deputy and two other lawmakers and appointed Mumba to the deputy position.
- He has fired his attorneys, accusing them of conspiring against him.
- This story apparently came to light when an assistant district attorney was fired for settling the case and not informing his superior.
- The problem is that the paper has fired this trainee journalist presumably due to public pressure and not, one assumes, some facts of his resume.
- During his trial, he fired his attorney and insisted on representing himself.
- There is a reluctance on the part of broadcast executives to fire presenters who stir up public outrage - because it sells.
- He also fired the country's prosecutor general as demanded by the opposition.
- The constitution gives the powers of hiring or firing magistrates to the Judicial Service Commission, which Gicheru chairs.
- We should examine why it is virtually impossible to fire a policeman.
- As it happens, a few readers have written in to say that firing a couple aides at random might marginally improve the situation as well.
- From the start of this year, the president has had the right to effectively hire and fire governors.
- He fired his deputy president for having ties to a businessman who was recently convicted of corruption.
- A disciplinary hearing was held and the messenger was fired.
- He says that in a few instances, solely on account of their bad report cards, he has fired salespeople who were writing up heaps of orders.
- We don't fire professors in the United States for their views when we are in our right minds.
- A couple of years ago, a Bell Labs professor was fired over fake data.
Synonyms
dismiss, discharge, give someone their notice, make redundant, lay off, let go, throw out, get rid of, oust, depose
3Supply (a furnace, engine, boiler, or power station) with fuel.
给（熔炉，引擎，锅炉，发电站）加燃料
Example sentencesExamples
- As a teenager, to help his parents, he'd work double shifts firing engines in rail yards.
- Because Watt's engine was fired by coal and not water, spinning factories could be located virtually anywhere.
- We were constructing wooden housing and using charcoal to fire blast furnaces.
Synonyms
power, charge, stoke up, supply with fuel
1. 3.1no object (of an internal combustion engine, or a cylinder in one) undergo ignition of its fuel when started.
  （内燃机或其汽缸）点火
  the engine fired and she pushed her foot down on the accelerator
  发动机点火后，她踩下了油门。
  Example sentencesExamples
  As the Spitfire flypast disappeared into the horizon, engines fired into life and the TGP aces flew out of the pit lane to form up the grid.
  Lind was able to get to the damned engines before they fired.
  Geordie who was talking to Cameron Shelton brought his conversation to a halt reluctantly, with several false stops like a car that kept on firing after the ignition had been switched on.
  Fortunately, the engine fired, the tires went round and round, and the pan didn't leak.
  The only practical way to do this is to add some sort of large rocket engine that fires right before impact.
  Tension ran high among the engineers when the Vinci engine fired, and the hydrogen and oxygen valves opened in sequence for the first time.
  Tension in Mission Control were high, as the engine had to fire while the craft was on the far side of the Moon, and out of radio contact.
  Its ion-propulsion engine will fire continuously for the next four days to help it stabilise.
  The engine only fired for a few seconds before shutting off again, and the missile fell.
  As they passed outside the larger ship's dock, there was a much larger engine firing.
  Getting behind the car, he pushed with gusto until the engine fired.
  Once the trailing satellite has nearly caught up, it fires its engines away from the leading satellite to achieve the same orbit again.
  Mars Express orbiter's main engine is firing for Mars Orbit Insertion.
  Over the next few months, the ion engine fires to raise the highest point of its orbit to match the orbit of the Moon.
  I could see now the Cyclops taking off, it's engines and jets fired into life and slowly lifted off the ground.
  Synonyms
  ignite, start, catch, get started, get going
2. 3.2usually fire something up Start (an engine or other device)
  with a flick of his wrist he fired up the chainsaw
  she fired up her laptop and checked her email
  Example sentencesExamples
  After a year's delay, loggers fired up the chainsaws on 4 April.
  I rolled out of bed, fired up the computer, and a couple hours later I had the first chapter.
  It rained hard enough to chase us off the lake and back to the cabin to fire up the wood stove.
  When the driver releases the brake pedal, the "extra" battery fires up the engine.
  I stumbled to my home office and fired up my laptop to see what the problem was.
  Now is the perfect time to fire up the grill or prepare cool dishes such as salads, sandwiches and chilled soups like gazpacho.
  You want to shop for something, you don't go to a store, you just fire up a laptop or a smartphone and order it.
  The wife hopped into the passenger seat with a smile; I fired the engine, dropped the top and we headed off with the sunset.
  A few times every spring and summer, Dad would fire up the old station wagon and drive us all to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.
  I fired up my DVD player, reclined in my easy chair, and let the film unfurl before me.
  Synonyms
  activate, set in motion, switch on, turn on, fire up
3. 3.3archaic Set fire to.
  〈古〉点燃
  I fired the straw
  我点燃了稻草。
4Stimulate or excite (the imagination or an emotion)
激起，唤起（想像，情感）
India fired my imagination
印度让我浮想联翩。
Example sentencesExamples
- They don't fire the imagination or arouse the passions like the aristocratic love of honor.
- Allende's vow to carry out a peaceful Socialist revolution fired the imagination of millions.
- Granada is also resonant with romance, having fired the imagination of Romantic poets and painters two centuries ago.
- It's no wonder the Romans can fire our imaginations, but what values did they hold, to help them to such success?
- In the Dominican Republic, it fired the imagination of a vibrant people.
- Writing and producing in a cross-cultural environment has fired his imagination and he has exploited the situation to the hilt.
- It is a vision that engages and fires his imagination.
- Anything is relevant to the pupil that fires the imagination or extends the mind.
- However, his imagination was fired by classic Westerns he had seen as a child.
- He had been busy accumulating knowledge, and stories told to him by his grandfather and other old-timers had fired his imagination.
- Meera's blind love for Krishna has fired the imagination of many poets.
Synonyms
stimulate, stir up, excite, enliven, awaken, arouse, rouse, call forth, draw forth, bring out, engender, evoke, inflame, breathe life into, put life into, animate
1. 4.1 Fill (someone) with enthusiasm.
  使充满热情；激励
  in the locker room they were really fired up
  Example sentencesExamples
  He was fired with a purpose - to highlight the plight of the poor, suffering masses of India.
  Certainly, running boards and helping nurture companies still fires him, as does his delight in seeing young people progress.
  It is a subject that clearly fires him and he delves enthusiastically into the process of applying for landing slots and the use of cooking oil as a fuel.
  He was ambitious of a wider effect: he was fired with the possibility that he might work out the proof of an anatomical conception and make a link in the chain of discovery.
  Synonyms
  activate, motivate, stimulate, actuate, move, drive, rouse, stir, stir up, arouse, energize, animate, fire
2. 4.2fire uparchaic no object Show sudden anger.
  〈古〉突然发怒
  If I were to hear anyone disparage you, I would fire up in a flash
  如果我听见谁言语间瞧不起你，我会立刻火冒三丈。
  Synonyms
  stir up, arouse, rouse, excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, move, fire the enthusiasm of, fire the imagination of, get going, whip up, inflame, agitate, goad, provoke, spur on, urge, encourage, animate, incite, egg on
5Bake or dry (pottery, bricks, etc.) in a kiln.
烧制（陶器、砖等）
Example sentencesExamples
- The technique of making majolica begins with firing a piece of earthenware.
- He can do chores for you, such as firing your pottery.
- The large size of the animals required both internal and external supports to prevent them from collapsing in the kiln during firing.
- The factory uses combined electricity and coal-fired kilns for firing the bricks.
- After making the pottery shelters, the children watched as their efforts were fired in a kiln.
- People using acrylic paints can take away the finished article, but those who prefer water-based paints must wait a few days while they are glazed and fired in a kiln.
- Pottery in Texas was fired in a groundhog kiln, so named because part of the kiln is buried in the earth.
- The temperature needed for firing pottery is between 700-1,000 centigrade.
- Molding something out of clay, decorating it and glazing it, then firing it in the kiln is a fantastic experience for young artists.
- All methods require that the mould be fired in the kiln; the mould can then be used again for numerous replicas.
- The fire that was built over the pots excluded most of the oxygen which fired the pottery black or charcoal-grey.
- Its lava streams and agricultural fields are made from tiles fired at the museum and from bricks fired by local brickyards.
- Clay can also be decorated with paint once it is dry or has been fired in a kiln.
- These are then fired in kilns and collected or posted out the following day.
- Now here's a chance to try your hand at making, glazing and firing your own Raku pieces.
- When fired in a kiln at 1,250 degrees, the oxides and glass pieces melt to form a beautiful layer.
- The inked tissue was then laid on the once-fired pottery item, and the pottery was glazed and fired again.
- The houses and kivas of this period were heated with coal, which was also used for firing pottery.
- The first porcelain was fired at this manufactory in July 1766.
- Brick can also be fired to contain numerous color variations within a range of tones appearing in a single brick.

Phrases

breathe fire

Be extremely angry.
盛怒，暴怒
the defeat has left him breathing fire
Example sentencesExamples
- He has worked with him as a player and a pundit and doesn't see much difference from the gum-chewing manager who used to breathe fire from the dugout.
- You can bet your last dollar if this happened in my school district I would be raising hell so fast and so loud I would be breathing fire.
- Well, to go around with a father who breathes fire every time you go out to someone's house…
- As a strong police posse stood around watching, district fan club members gathered, forming an angry group and breathing fire at the critical references to their hero.
- Its new leader, its military wing, are breathing fire essentially.
- The other goon has been taken care of by this time by Alexias so Eavan and Lambeth bear down on the sheriff, Lambeth breathes fire at her and she backs off swearing.
- The new health minister entered the ring with the group breathing fire, promising a knock-down, drag-out struggle to the death, vowing there would be no retreat.
- I wasn't breathing fire in every scene, but I wanted to get across that he was a psychotic.
- Scott McLean scored the resulting penalty, but John Lambie was left to breathe fire at his side as Ian Ferguson snatched an unlikely equaliser on 65 minutes.
- He joined the race late and went on rightwing talk radio, breathing fire with a slight southern drawl against abortion, divorce

catch fire

1Begin to burn.
开始燃烧，着火
Example sentencesExamples
- It was rare that a race report didn't include at least one car catching fire or sailing off course on the top end.
- The defendant employed a chauffeur, and on one occasion when he was attempting to start the car it caught fire.
- In a finely divided form, the metal may catch fire spontaneously and burn vigorously.
- The moth eventually catches fire, burns and dies; consumed by the very mystery it sought.
- The electricity sparked and sections of the subway began to catch fire.
- But nowadays, we very much hope that we don't get cars catching fire.
- After the rectory caught fire and burned down in July 1702, he changed his mind.
- ‘Cars catching fire is a very frequent occurrence in Shanghai,’ Jiang said.
- He spoke to the driver who made no response, and because of his concern that the car could catch fire he disconnected its battery.
- He said the assault happened when the contents of an aerosol sprayed at the boy's head caught fire, burning his eyebrows and hair.
Synonyms
ignite, catch light, burst into flames, go up in flames, begin to burn
1. 1.1Become interesting or exciting.
  〈喻〉吸引人，引起人们的兴趣；激动人心
  the show never caught fire
  演出从来都没有引起过人们的兴趣。
  Example sentencesExamples
  They're just now getting interested in the campaign, but he hasn't caught fire.
  Brian Maloney has an interesting post up about Air America's failure to catch fire with listeners.
  Suddenly history smouldered, warmed up, caught fire and burned into my consciousness.
  But unless consumers notice a dramatic change for the better, Firefox could really begin to catch fire - and outfox Internet Explorer.
  I think they've really caught fire and really have done something very, very important.
  As the game began to catch fire in the States, business proved brisk.
  The offensive began in Paris just as the market began to catch fire.
  September 17 was the day the inquiry caught fire.

fire and brimstone

The torments of hell.
地狱里的磨难
his father was preaching fire and brimstone sermons
他父亲在作有关地狱磨难的布道。
Example sentencesExamples
- Those, who in their mind did not deserve to uphold the ‘bedrock of society’, would be chastised with fire and brimstone.
- With the fire and brimstone of the Old Testament, the parishioner condemns his perversion.
- Irrespective of all the fire and brimstone, he should do the right thing and immediately withdraw his inconsiderate remarks with a full apology.
- Viki looked at the two sympathetically, these two have been through hell fire and brimstone to be with each other.
- They had hymns, a sermon with fire and brimstone, and all the usual traditional elements.
- Rather than turn people onto religion with threats of fire and brimstone, the association of decidedly modern churches' messages open a gentler gateway into the fold.
- After a couple of hours of telling off and hell fire and brimstone the priest was leaving.
- It was on the subject he had been assigned by his apparently normal suburban Catholic school: Hell, and all its fire and brimstone.
- In contrast to the old-style fire and brimstone, today's efforts to curb personal freedoms and erode civil liberties are justified in the terms of health and safety.
- A distinct thread of superstition - of curses, of fire and brimstone, and of the inherent existence of evil in human nature - runs throughout.
Synonyms
the netherworld, the abode of the dead, the land of the dead, the infernal regions, the inferno, the nether regions, the abyss

fire away

informal Used to give someone permission to begin speaking, typically to ask questions.
〈非正式〉用以表示许可请讲，请讲话；请提问
“I want to clear up some questions that have been puzzling me.” “Fire away.”
“我想澄清一些一直让我困惑的问题。”“请讲。”
Example sentencesExamples
- ‘Okay, fire away,’ I replied with a small smirk dancing on my lips.
- I patiently waited until he finished, and then told him to fire away.
- And she's going to read from that and then we'll fire away some questions.
- I'll have a couple of questions and then we'll have both Christiane and Nic fire away as well.
- Whatever you've always wanted to know, fire away!
- He showed up and gave a speech that went: ‘I don't have a speech, but if you have questions, fire away.’
- If any of you reading this article has a question, then fire away!
- If you have a burning question that's of interest to all, fire away.
- As always, this is meant to open up some discussion and feedback, so feel free to fire away.
- Should you think otherwise, well, I'm a big boy; fire away.

fire in the (or one's) belly

A powerful sense of ambition or determination.
雄心壮志；坚定的决心
Example sentencesExamples
- Matt from Winnipeg told me, ‘They've put the fire in my belly to fight this for the rest of my life.’
- He is like a prizefighter determined to show that there is still some fire in his belly.
- Kilkeel played with fire in their belly and deserved their point.
- If you have a real fire in your belly about an idea, then you need to carry it through’.
- The 2003 Jobs with Justice Annual Meeting has left me with a fire in my belly.
- That's I think enough for me; I don't know that I have the fire in my belly to try to launch another one and go through the whole thing that happens when you do that.
- It's an attitude, a presence, a fire in your belly.
- It's enough if you have the attitude and the fire in your belly.
- I felt the union needed someone with fire in their belly but even then there were guys warning me that in backing him I would rue the day.
- It gives me more determination and a bit of fire in my belly to prove people wrong.

fire on all cylinders

Work or function at a peak level of performance.
开足马力；鼓足干劲
neither conductor nor orchestra are really firing on all cylinders
Example sentencesExamples
- They say, except for jobs creation, the economy was firing on all cylinders from July through September.
- England have oozed that sort of confidence throughout this current campaign, and have carried on winning even when not firing on all cylinders.
- On a technical level, Scorsese is firing on all cylinders, but emotionally the film is a bit distant.
- Liverpool were still not firing on all cylinders, but were looking good enough to get the win and, at this stage of the season, that's all that matters.
- I feel as if I'm still three or four weeks away (from match fitness), I just feel as if I'm not firing on all cylinders.
- Last night was a great example of a band firing on all cylinders and while we don't think the new record quite survived the transition to a big label intact, live at least, every song is a killer.
- But I hope to back firing on all cylinders from the middle of January, 2004.
- The forward line needs to be firing on all cylinders, and the team's penalty corner drill needs to be imaginative and forceful.
- The Clan came out firing on all cylinders in the first game.
- Records are there to be broken and Celtic are firing on all cylinders just now.

go through fire (and water)

Face any peril.
赴汤蹈火
Example sentencesExamples
- He has been through a lot, and when a man is tested, you don't know what he's made of until he really goes through fire.
- The tragedy of this woman lies in the rejection of her awesome sacrifice by the very person for whom she went through fire: her son Bharata.
- You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
- She would go through fire and ice for Natai, whether she knew it or not.
- You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water.
- The psalmist exemplifies this attitude and praises God, ‘Israel's deliverer,’ who has ‘given life to our souls,’ for although ‘we went through fire and water… you have led us out to refreshment.’
- He became a father-figure to young athletes, who would go through fire for him.

light a fire under someone

Stimulate someone to work or act more quickly or enthusiastically.
〈北美〉激励某人更快（或更加热情）地工作（或办事）
Example sentencesExamples
- Meanwhile, the musical subculture Tee helped build is lighting a fire under more traditional DJs looking to add some new sounds to their sets.
- Suddenly he remembered something that lit a fire under him.
- This is the type of bold move that will light a fire under the Yankees.
- I'm ready to do everything I can to make a difference and light a fire under people.
- Massenet's strong yet impulsively teenager-ish heroine seems to have lit a fire under her, because here she is at her best.
- I think that lights a fire under the Senators to do their work quickly.
- Eventually, I think, something will happen, some spark will be set off that lights a fire under this market.
- Maybe if I fire a couple of laggards that'll light a fire under them!
- I hope this challenge to his position lights a fire under his coat tails because he has the capacity to be an excellent trial attorney.
- They can move mountains with their enthusiasm and energy and light a fire under almost anything.
Synonyms
encourage, act as a fillip to, act as a impetus to, act as a incentive to, act as a spur to, act as a stimulus to, prompt, prod, move, motivate, trigger, spark, spur on, galvanize, activate, kindle, fire, fire with enthusiasm, fuel, whet, nourish

on fire

1In flames; burning.
起火，着火；在燃烧
Example sentencesExamples
- He claimed her neighbour's house was on fire and said she had to grab her valuables and leave.
- A log in that unsightly pile writhed as if it were already on fire, though the flames had not quite reached it.
- When they looked outside they realised one of the houses was on fire and screams were heard.
- The intrepid dad ran outside to find his van was on fire and flames were spreading to the front of his home.
- A next door neighbour, who called the fire brigade, said at first she thought it was her house which was on fire.
- She had realised her house was on fire when she touched a door handle and discovered it was hot.
- With another soldier, he helped remove a sideboard from a house that was on fire at the request of the woman who lived there.
- If your house was on fire, what one item would you grab as you dashed to safety?
- He recounts the time a journalist asked him what three things he would save were his house on fire.
- A terraced house was on fire, with smoke and flames pouring from the ground and first floor windows.
Synonyms
burning, ablaze, blazing, aflame, in flames, flaming, raging, fiery
1. 1.1In a state of excitement.
  处于激动（或兴奋）状态
  Wright is now on fire with confidence
  赖特现在信心十足。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Paddy Murray was on fire and rattled over five exquisite points in a blistering opening half.
  After a poor performance in Cork the previous weekend the home side were always going to come out on fire.
  Trevor Smullen, in the other corner, was also on fire, landing five points from play.
  Pat Harte was on fire for the entire sixty minutes and scored some crucial points during the game.
  York were on fire and skipper for the day Sean Bass picked up an awkward pass off his toes.
  The crowd was literally on fire, as couples jived as if there was no tomorrow.
  They are on fire, a team full of confidence and ability and belief in each other.
  The troupe was literally on fire, as they turned, swayed and bent showing amazing skills.
  He was on fire in the opening 20 minutes but he was also guilty of a lack of finishing touch.
  Synonyms
  ardent, passionate, fervent, intense, excited, aflutter

set fire to
〈古〉点燃

Cause to burn; ignite.
点燃，放火烧，使燃烧
Example sentencesExamples
- Giggling nervously, one girl lit a match and set a twig on fire.
- We have had fires galore and one family was burnt out when someone set a wheelie bin on fire in their porch.
- He said his own radio had been burned when their vehicle had been set on fire.
- Since then her home has been set on fire and her car torched once, stolen twice and broken into three times.
- It set the entire area on fire, burning down trees, grass, animals, and anything else that got in its way.
- Under the watchful eye of the local fire department, we set the test facility on fire.
- Hundreds of young men attacked the newspaper's office on Wednesday, set it on fire and burned copies of the paper.
- Toilet blocks were set on fire and lighting masts pulled down during a two-hour rampage that caused damage estimated at £250,000.
- Miraculously he never burned himself or set the house on fire.
- She then lit a match, setting the goo on fire, and brushed up the ashes.
Synonyms
light, ignite, kindle, set fire to, set on fire, set alight, set ablaze, put a match to, touch off, spark off, incinerate

set the world on fire (also set the world alight)

Do something remarkable or sensational.
做出引起轰动（或惊世骇俗）的事
the film hasn't exactly set the world on fire
这部影片并没有真正引起轰动。
Synonyms
succeed, achieve success, be successful, be a success, do well, get ahead, reach the top, become famous, achieve recognition, distinguish oneself, set the world on fire

take fire

Start to burn.
开始燃烧，着火

under fire

1Being shot at.
遭到炮火的袭击
observers sent to look for the men came under heavy fire
派去寻找那些人的观察员遭到了一场密集的炮火袭击。
Example sentencesExamples
- My unit is the first unit to build under fire since World War II over the Rhine River.
- Armies would thus come under fire long before they could even see their enemy, let alone attack his positions.
- They were under fire from the enemy, but their service and skills were needed desperately.
- Many tales of Harrison's heroism and bravery under fire were retold by veterans.
- Instructions were, should the ship come under fire, to tend wounded regardless of their own safety.
- It was one of the first beach landings of the war, and the Americans came under fire.
- At Pourville, too, the South Saskatchewan Regiment beached without coming under fire.
- Sgt Cox showed personal courage and skill while under fire from hostile militia.
- He was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in treating casualties under fire in the desert.
- The following year Banting received the Military Cross for bravery under fire.
1. 1.1Being rigorously criticized.
  遭到严厉批评
  the president was under fire from all sides
  校长遭到了各方的严厉批评。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The council is currently investigating the way it is run after coming under fire for its handling of a number of key issues in the town over the last year.
  A public schools district plan to teach a bible course is coming under fire from critics.
  The government also came under fire for not putting enough resources into education and social services.
  Plans for a £5 surcharge on speeding tickets to fund victim support services came under fire last night.
  The four-sided, four metre-high sculpture came under fire from critics who branded it a waste of money.
  Actors, directors and critics all come under fire as we are invited to laugh at the melodramatic play within a play.
  The penny seems to have dropped at head office, which has been under fire from critics for its woeful neglect of its European operations.
  Charter airlines based at Manchester Airport have come under fire in a critical consumer survey.
  He is already under fire from critics in his own party for failing to return immediately to Washington once the hijackings got under way.
  The society's leadership is now under fire from numerous critics in academia and the science community.

where's the fire?

informal Used to ask someone why they are in such a hurry or state of excitement.
〈非正式〉干吗这么急（或兴奋）？

Origin

Old English fȳr (noun), fȳrian ‘supply with material for a fire’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer.

单词	fire
释义	Definition of fire in English: fire noun ˈfʌɪəˈfaɪ(ə)r mass noun 1A process in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke; combustion or burning. 火 his house was destroyed by fire 他的房子被烧毁了。 Example sentencesExamples They are also warning of the danger of fire associated with cigarette smoking. There was no fire, and no trace that any fire had ever been lit there. The different types of nozzles used to deal with different kinds of fire and smoke were also shown. Build small, hot fires for maximum burning of volatile gases and for fewer air quality and other safety problems. A large fire is usually burning, and many tall diving stories are told. It was already very late and the light from the fire was not bright enough to show all the features of Faith's face. A fire door will prevent smoke and fire from spreading to other parts of the building. You are more likely to die from smoke inhalation than fire. The important thing to remember, Mr Ridgway said, is that keeping a building protected from the perils of fire is an ongoing process. Even at one in the morning, they did not flinch when a roaring explosion of fire and smoke lit the sky behind them. During a total Fire Ban, no fire of any kind may be lit in the open. In minutes, a small but bright fire sent a thick stream of black smoke skywards. He said sprinklers were effective on all fires and reduced the amount of damage caused by fire, smoke and water. When the kill had been made, Jimmy would light a small heather fire to make a smoke signal. Away in the distance were fires where people were burning coal, and there would be a light from a forest fire. As I tried to make my escape downhill, a cloud of smoke from another fire enveloped me. The drapes had been closed and the room was dark except for the flickering light of the dying fire. Suddenly a bright light, fire in fact, flared in front of her face, and a torch was lit. 1.1count noun A destructive burning of something. 火灾 a fire at a hotel 酒店的一场火灾。 Example sentencesExamples With the fires still burning deep within the mangled wreckage, it may be months before the area is cleared by health and safety authorities. The fire had caused serious smoke and heat damage to the property, he said. Those of you who have had fires know how destructive they can be. Experts believe more destructive fires are in our future. They sat around the fires of the burning town until the sun rose in the East. One of the biggest and most destructive of those fires is bearing down on another resort town, Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County. Every summer it seems America is reawakened to the destructive forces of forest fires. They spent three hours there and the whole house was badly damaged by fire and smoke. The Fire Service admitted that it was one of the most destructive fires they had witnessed in a number of years. The Siberian northern boreal forests, called Taiga, where the fires were burning are mainly spruce and fir trees. This was achieved after improved park management contained the destructive annual fires and reduced livestock grazing and poaching. During the riots many small fires, including burning cars, were left to burn for long periods. Orange flames lit the sky as fire destroyed a building on Duke Street during the wee hours of yesterday morning. Many destructive fires start during such times since potential fire hazards can go unnoticed in the relative darkness. The area below her was littered with twisted metal and burning fires. At times the reserve staff will start a ‘cold’ fire that is less destructive than latter fires when the grass becomes dry. Synonyms blaze, conflagration, inferno, holocaust, firestorm flames, burning, combustion 1.2count noun A collection of fuel, especially coal or wood, burnt in a controlled way to provide heat or a means for cooking. （尤指烧煤或木柴的）炉火，灶火 we had a bath in a tin tub by the fire 我们在炉火旁的锡制浴缸里洗了澡。 Example sentencesExamples Much cooking is done in huge pots over a wood fire, stirring ingredients with a long stick. Taking another swig of his beer, his eyes came to rest on a stumbling figure walking away from the warmth of the large fire. Of course the fire was lit and tea was made on a regular basis. Conditions were primitive and patients arrived suffering from malaria, crocodile or snake bites, or burns from open cooking fires. Under five sawn-off oil barrels fierce wood fires are burning: on top of them are the woks of giants, each as wide as I can stretch my arms. The fire is lit well ahead of time to allow the wood to burn down to non-flaming coals. I see myself reclining by a roaring peat fire, glass of whisky in one hand, fat piece of shortbread in the other. It shines on both of us, she thought, turning back to the room and her warmly lit fire. Yasuko warmly welcomed her inside and offered her a bowl of soup and the warmth of his fire. One evening the air grew cold, and so the men went about collecting wood to build a fire. A little ahead of the bed he was on, was a small fireplace with a dim lit fire. Coal and wood fires smell wonderful but are messy and time-consuming. The only need the people had for wood was for fires, and that was provided more than amply enough by the smaller trees scattered along the edge of the forest. Columns of smoke from cooking fires and controlled burns seemed to dangle groundward from the sky. Women are also responsible for collection of fuel for cooking fires. Shivering, through the cold of his body, he dropped to the warmth of the dying fire. 1.3British count noun A domestic heating appliance that uses electricity or gas as fuel. she was freezing and keeping the fire low to save money Example sentencesExamples Over the past three years, there have been 59 deaths and 4,500 injuries from domestic fires in Greater Manchester. Features include gas-fired central heating, gas coal-effect fires in both reception rooms and tiled fireplaces in two of the three bedrooms. The rules apply to all gas appliances, including central heating boilers, water heaters, fires and cookers. He has been undertaking a variety of projects including fitting central heating and fires. Similarly, people may gain heat radiating from hot walls, concrete, or sand in a hot environment, as well as from fires or central heating radiators in the cold. Synonyms heater, radiator, convector 1.4 One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology (considered essential to the nature of the signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) 火（古代和中世纪哲学以及占星术中的四大元素之一，被认为对白羊宫、狮子宫和人马宫的自然力必不可少） as modifier a fire sign Example sentencesExamples The five elements of Nature, air, fire, land, water and ether have an effect on every human being. People with an emphasis on the fire element tend to be outgoing, inspirational and ‘fiery’. The Emperor is often associated with Aries, which is a strong and assertive astrological fire sign. Jupiter has rulership in the remaining fire sign Sagittarius, so he is the participating ruler. Associated with the element of fire and the sun in astrology, the plant was often used in floral oracle readings. For them, fire has its spirits, so do trees and birds and wild animals. The gift of the fire signs is creative inspiration, evolving into an endless supply of bright ideas and contagious enthusiasm. Like many of his contemporaries, he regarded heat as a physical substance, rather like the ancient elemental fire. A chart that is strong in fire will be optimistic, energetic and, as the name implies, fiery. A true Sagittarian to the end, little Bonnie Blue, with her parents, completed the element of fire. Like all the fire signs, Leos are idealistic and don't hold back from expressing their passion. Aries is a fire sign, Cancer a water sign, so this duet is at odds. 2A burning sensation. 火烧似的感觉 count noun the whisky lit a fire in the back of his throat 威士忌让他的喉咙深处火辣辣的。 Example sentencesExamples The minute her hand made contact with the metal a very sharp pain that felt like fire ran up her entire arm. Brad's eyes bugged out and he clutched his face as pain like fire ripped through his head. 2.1 Fervent or passionate emotion or enthusiasm. 激情，热情 the fire of their religious conviction 他们笃信宗教的热情。 Example sentencesExamples It was played with passion and fire, by a massive orchestra. It's weak, saggy and missing even a spark of fire or passion. She was tiny too, I guessed barely five feet, and yet she seemed to have fire and passion in her eyes. His fear bubbled to the surface, quelling the fire of his enthusiasm as he saw how irregular her breathing was. So, in anticipation of the great event, we might as well get into the spirit and put some fire into our bellies too. It was a great team effort with the lads playing with fire, passion, determination and a tremendous will to win. He does what he does best, puts fire into men's hearts, plants the seeds of war. The dancing at Arios is great but what is missing here is fire and passion among the dancers. Check it out and remind yourself how real music should be played with fire and skill, heart and soul, love and affection. Maybe I would have less passion, less fire, less anger driving me to make the world a better place. The prophets of the Temple period opposed paganism with all of their ethical fire and passion. Tony's fire and enthusiasm has always been a delight, but desire gets you nowhere by itself. There are moments when he shows a glimpse of his old flair and fire but they are just that, moments. Naomh Eoin played a fantastic match, full of fire and passion, so much so they were in front for all but 17 minutes. Synonyms dynamism, energy, vigour, animation, vitality, vibrancy, exuberance, ebullience, zest, elan passion, ardour, impetuosity, intensity, zeal, spirit, life, liveliness, verve, vivacity, vivaciousness sparkle, scintillation, dash enthusiasm, eagerness, gusto fervour, fervency, force, potency, vehemence inspiration, imagination, creativity, inventiveness, flair informal pep, vim, zing, go, get-up-and-go, oomph, pizzazz 2.2literary A glowing or luminous quality. their soft smiles light the air like a star's fire 他们的温柔微笑如星光一般照亮了天空。 3The shooting of projectiles from weapons, especially bullets from guns. 射击，开火；炮火（尤指枪炮射出的子弹） a burst of machine-gun fire 一阵机枪扫射。 mortar fire Example sentencesExamples The crackle of heavy machine-gun fire echoed across the capital and allied aircraft were heard overhead. We expected mortars to be added to the rifle and machinegun fire, but the Germans did not use them. Four men were cut down by machine-gun fire in a gangland-style shooting. Three hours later a second Chinook sent to rescue him was hit by machine-gun fire and another rocket-propelled grenade. Our giggling stopped with a burst followed by an answering burst of machine-gun fire coming from the river about fifty yards away. The tube belched fire and the projectile covered the short distance to the tank in an instant. A rocket had hit the trunk and it was caught in a hail of machinegun fire but it kept going until it was out of site. Automatic weapon fire dissolved the first car in a snowstorm of broken glass. On his second tour of duty in Korea, he was cut down by enemy machine-gun fire. The enemy met descending paratroopers with heavy small arms and machinegun fire. Skirting the village, the group crossed a little canal and came under intense mortar fire. Batteries and small groups of infantry were attacked with machine-gun fire. The attackers sprayed a truck full of policemen with machine-gun fire. A burst of machinegun fire hit the ground in front of them so that they were sprayed by a shower of broken bullets and stones. Suddenly it came under a concentrated barrage of German artillery and machinegun fire. The spread of radio sets made tactical separation easier and improved the control of artillery and mortar fire. He lasted just 24 days at Gallipoli before he was killed by machine-gun fire. Almost immediately there was a sustained burst of machine-gun fire just up the road from us here. A burst of machine-gun fire from one of the tanks slammed into a wall a few metres away. However, in the hail of bullets and recoilless rifle fire, over fifty hostages had been killed. Synonyms gunfire, firing, sniping, flak, bombardment fusillade, volley, barrage, salvo, cannonade 3.1 Strong criticism or antagonism. 猛烈的批评；敌意 he directed his fire against policies promoting American capital flight 他猛烈抨击了促使美国资本外逃的政策。 Example sentencesExamples But it is against Christianity as an organized phenomenon that Russell most directed his fire. While his fire was directed mainly at the press, he believes hostility lurks in the government and among the general public. You've taken some quick and direct fire on basically asking women to return to the care of children. While he has taken most of the flak, the main fire should be directed at his partner. Moving on now, a top official fired back today as his government has come under critical fire. Critics of this approach - and there are many - direct their fire at two of its arguments. He takes hostile fire from the press after jumping into the presidential race. This time, his fire will be directed at local officials and police who may not be pulling their weight in the battle against drugs. Despite drawing critical fire and reactionary ire, the show's back for a second series. She had to flee Guatemala to come to Canada after her work with trade unions put her in direct fire of the local cartels in her home country. Hitler himself was occasionally caught in the line of fire of criticism. Their fire should be directed at the main parties who have let this situation arise. This episode, recorded only by Luke, has come under some serious critical fire. Synonyms criticism, censure, condemnation, castigation, denunciation, opprobrium, admonishments, vituperation, scolding, chiding disapproval, hostility, antagonism, animosity, ill will, enmity informal flak, brickbats, knocks, raps verb ˈfʌɪəˈfaɪ(ə)r [with object] 1Discharge a gun or other weapon in order to propel (a bullet or projectile) 射出，发射（子弹，抛射体） he fired a shot at the retreating prisoners 他朝着后退中的囚犯开了一枪。 they fired off a few rounds 他们开了几轮枪。 Example sentencesExamples By 1916 he had devised a method to calculate the position from which the projectile was fired very accurately allowing enemy gun locations to be targeted. Ammunition stocks disappeared as artillery fired projectiles far in excess of prewar projections. They fired a rubber bullet which bounced off the wall and I went to get it. A British ballistic missile submarine has fired torpedoes at an American destroyer - all for the sake of research. In suppressing the Quebec City protests, Canadian police for the first time used the impact weapon Arwen 37 which fires rubber bullets. The moment came, and with the twelfth shot fired off, the bullets ceased and Johner drew back behind the barricade to reload his gun. The soldiers firing the projectiles were his heroes. If the projectile is fired parallel to the ground, this effect causes the typical downward curved trajectory. For the highest pressures, brute force is applied in the form of the shock-wave apparatus, in which a projectile is fired at the sample. Firing pin marks on cartridge cases and ejector marks on shells also can be used to provide clues to the type or make of the weapon that fired the bullet. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd. When this projectile is fired into trash piles, trucks, or boxes, it sticks to the target and sends back data. Police said rubber bullets were fired, while the union claimed that birdshot had been used. The Vulcan works by firing a projectile at high speed into a landmine, ripping it apart without detonating the explosives. More than 125 people were arrested and scores more injured by police, who, in addition to tear gas and rubber bullets, fired live ammunition at the workers. Warfare is the next step with the powers of hot gas being harnessed to fire projectiles from cannons or small arms. Six of the crude projectiles were fired, damaging two houses but causing no injuries. Six workers were injured after troops fired plastic bullets and teargas and then baton-charged the crowd. Synonyms launch, shoot, discharge, eject, hurl, throw, send flying, let fly with, loose off, shy, send North American informal pop shoot, discharge, let off, trigger, set off, blast let fly with 1.1 Discharge (a gun or other weapon) 放，开（枪等武器） another gang fired a pistol through the window of a hostel 另一帮人朝一家客栈的窗户里打了一手枪。 no object troops fired on crowds 军队朝人群开了枪。 Example sentencesExamples They ran through a block of single story residences, throwing grenades and firing their weapons. Airmen, needless to say, showed themselves eager, hurling grenades and firing their weapons at targets on the ground from the earliest days of the war. He fired a machine gun and a few small missiles at it. He studied the simple pistol grip that fired the main gun. They began beating them with clubs, and then fired water cannons at them. Only a few weeks ago, there was a small gang of very young children firing an air rifle in the children's area of the park. Back in March youngsters fired an air gun rifle at a female youth worker and hit her in the leg. Someone fired an air rifle at the rear of the school site and three pupils were slightly injured. Even the fun of watching the frigate fire her guns did not help my airsickness. It was hard to see the extent of the damage because the windscreen was dirty after firing the gun. They spoke of incidents of violence, which included a disabled woman twice narrowly escaping injury from a youth firing an air rifle and a pensioner's pet dog being shot dead. A woman on disability benefits narrowly missed being hurt by a youth firing an air rifle - twice in 24 hours. Suddenly he heard the distinct noise of a Gatling gun being fired. You'll notice in my data that I never reached the factory-specified velocities, firing either carbines or rifles. Others have suggested that he held on to the pistol while firing the shotgun one-handed. But there were clashes as demonstrators tried to break through and police drove them back, firing water cannons and tear gas. A teacher who was jailed for firing an air pistol while confronting a gang of youths outside her home was freed on appeal yesterday. Vandals have fired an air rifle at the windows of a pre-school. When they fired back, he and his crew fired both guns directly into them. The gang fired the gun at the glass security screen of the Post Office in Halifax Road, Cullingworth, at 10 am on Monday but fled empty handed. 1.2no object (of a gun) be discharged. （枪、炮）发射；开火 the first gun fired Example sentencesExamples The Gatling guns all fired simultaneously, tearing through the rear of the vehicle and into the trunk. The three close upon the Dornier with all their guns firing. He cracked his neck, and it sounded like a gun firing. Mr Reed, who owns his own haulage company, was in the park when he heard an air rifle being fired. As the planes flew overhead, all the guns started firing. The SAW machine guns began firing through the windows, blowing huge chunks out of the apartment's brick façade. Narrowly above him, a machine gun fired into the thin air. A scream suddenly echoed throughout the gardens, startling us both, followed by a dull bang that could have been a gun firing and a body hitting the ground. Unexpectedly they heard a very distinct sound; a gun firing. According to first findings, the guard was shot down with eight or nine bullets from a machine gun fired by an unknown number of assailants who had approached him. The guns are firing before they can even start to move. However, Leon quickly broke the sound barrier, running to the other side of the Geno, the side where the guns weren't firing. The screen showed the gun firing very accurately at a target. A second later anti-air guns began firing at the craft. The attack on Rommel's lines started with over 800 artillery guns firing at the German lines. The guns started firing on the first step I took. Within 50 yards the German machine guns started firing and men began to fall. I first hear his machine guns firing and I turn my head in shock. The two of them moved together, their guns fired almost at the same time, twin weapons discharging loudly into the near silence. Only a second later did he begin to charge, his guns firing. 1.3 Direct (questions or statements, especially unwelcome ones) towards someone in rapid succession. （向某人）连珠炮似的（或猛烈地）发出（不受欢迎的问题等） they fired questions at me for what seemed like ages 他们没完没了地向我连连发问。 Example sentencesExamples While it may be called speed dating this does not mean you need to fire questions rapidly across the table. She fires questions at them, most requiring only basic general knowledge. Presumably there were questions fired at him about the fact that he's said to have admitted lying. They are also having great fun, absorbed in what they are doing, breaking off only to fire insistent questions at their teacher. As the climax approaches, dozens of reporters run onto the stage, firing questions about the scandal in every direction. They all faced John Campbell of TV3 who had the task of not only firing the questions but of keeping order, and harder still keeping their answers on track. Parents fired questions at the administration about how the institution is dealing with the double cohort. Mukesh also faced questions fired by students with characteristic ease. The youngsters fired questions on acting, dubbing, editing as well as shooting. A huge media pack fired questions as the three, visibly upset, rushed past with their faces covered. The questions were fired at the panel in the village institute and all went smoothly. However, he still was not content and he fired one more question at me. For a quiz programme, it was quite a short one, with the questions being fired rapidly, and answered with equal speed by the contestants. And Les, a veteran of such events, said he was hoping to fire some questions at the minister. I should add that the stations' hosts were genial even as they fired questions at me that they will have heard other guests or callers refer to repeatedly. Synonyms throw, toss, fling, pitch, cast, lob, launch, flip, catapult, shy, dash, send, bowl, aim, direct, project, propel, let fly 1.4fire something off Send a message aggressively. he fired off a letter informing her that he regarded the matter with the utmost seriousness 他气愤地给她发了一封信，告诉她说他看待此事非常认真。 Example sentencesExamples The problem with email excess is that people often just fire them off without giving much thought to whether the message was really needed or whether the content was right. I fire the email off to about five different places. In Tang Hall, 524 people signed objecting letters, and 72 protest letters were fired off to city chiefs. As I learned later, Miss Nightingale herself hated all the ‘lady with the lamp’ guff and was much happier ploughing through volumes of public health statistics or firing sharp letters off to cabinet ministers. Once you've got your message written, you can fire it off to anywhere in the world for 22 cents. He should do his homework before he fires letters off to your paper. I fired my letter off to the Speaker immediately. He promptly fired a letter off, through his lawyer, declaring he that was confounded by the request that he assent to any such payment. So we wrote the letter to the management company, fired it off, got a reply - which was much appreciated - and left it. Around 4.5 million emails are fired off by Britain's workforce every day, many of them including non-work related content. However, senior Army officials felt differently, firing last-minute faxes off in an effort to stall or defeat the amendment. A U-turn only came about when the Evening Advertiser contacted a local MP, who fired a letter off to the Foreign Office. ‘Yeah, I had physics, chemistry, biology, maths and general studies,’ he fires them off nonchalantly. Jacqueline Clarke as octogenarian pianist Jeanette had the best of the one-liners - firing them off like Mae West in her prime - while Tommy Knight as Jerry's son Nath is a little star in the making. Obviously he wasn't getting the attention he craved while we were all asleep on this side of the world, so it must have made sense to type out some bizarre stuff in emails and fire them off to me. 2informal Dismiss (an employee) from a job. 〈非正式〉开除；解雇 I had to fire men who've been with me for years 不得不解雇跟随我多年的人。 you're fired! 你被解雇了！ Example sentencesExamples From the start of this year, the president has had the right to effectively hire and fire governors. A couple of years ago, a Bell Labs professor was fired over fake data. The problem is that the paper has fired this trainee journalist presumably due to public pressure and not, one assumes, some facts of his resume. He fired his deputy president for having ties to a businessman who was recently convicted of corruption. He also fired the country's prosecutor general as demanded by the opposition. He says that in a few instances, solely on account of their bad report cards, he has fired salespeople who were writing up heaps of orders. He has fired his attorneys, accusing them of conspiring against him. In May 2003, he fired his deputy and two other lawmakers and appointed Mumba to the deputy position. As it happens, a few readers have written in to say that firing a couple aides at random might marginally improve the situation as well. The constitution gives the powers of hiring or firing magistrates to the Judicial Service Commission, which Gicheru chairs. During his trial, he fired his attorney and insisted on representing himself. We don't fire professors in the United States for their views when we are in our right minds. We should examine why it is virtually impossible to fire a policeman. This story apparently came to light when an assistant district attorney was fired for settling the case and not informing his superior. There is a reluctance on the part of broadcast executives to fire presenters who stir up public outrage - because it sells. A disciplinary hearing was held and the messenger was fired. Synonyms dismiss, discharge, give someone their notice, make redundant, lay off, let go, throw out, get rid of, oust, depose Military cashier informal sack, give the sack to, axe, kick out, boot out, give someone the boot, give someone the bullet, give someone the (old) heave-ho, give someone the elbow, give someone the push, give someone their marching orders, show someone the door British informal give someone their cards 3Supply (a furnace, engine, etc.) with fuel. 给（熔炉，引擎，锅炉，发电站）加燃料 liquefied petroleum gas can fire room heaters Example sentencesExamples As a teenager, to help his parents, he'd work double shifts firing engines in rail yards. We were constructing wooden housing and using charcoal to fire blast furnaces. Because Watt's engine was fired by coal and not water, spinning factories could be located virtually anywhere. Synonyms power, charge, stoke up, supply with fuel 3.1no object (of an internal combustion engine) undergo ignition of its fuel when started. （内燃机或其汽缸）点火 the engine fired and she pushed her foot down on the accelerator 发动机点火后，她踩下了油门。 Example sentencesExamples Over the next few months, the ion engine fires to raise the highest point of its orbit to match the orbit of the Moon. As the Spitfire flypast disappeared into the horizon, engines fired into life and the TGP aces flew out of the pit lane to form up the grid. Once the trailing satellite has nearly caught up, it fires its engines away from the leading satellite to achieve the same orbit again. The engine only fired for a few seconds before shutting off again, and the missile fell. Getting behind the car, he pushed with gusto until the engine fired. Tension in Mission Control were high, as the engine had to fire while the craft was on the far side of the Moon, and out of radio contact. Geordie who was talking to Cameron Shelton brought his conversation to a halt reluctantly, with several false stops like a car that kept on firing after the ignition had been switched on. The only practical way to do this is to add some sort of large rocket engine that fires right before impact. As they passed outside the larger ship's dock, there was a much larger engine firing. Fortunately, the engine fired, the tires went round and round, and the pan didn't leak. Its ion-propulsion engine will fire continuously for the next four days to help it stabilise. Tension ran high among the engineers when the Vinci engine fired, and the hydrogen and oxygen valves opened in sequence for the first time. I could see now the Cyclops taking off, it's engines and jets fired into life and slowly lifted off the ground. Lind was able to get to the damned engines before they fired. Mars Express orbiter's main engine is firing for Mars Orbit Insertion. Synonyms ignite, start, catch, get started, get going 3.2usually fire something up Start (an engine or other device) with a flick of his wrist he fired up the chainsaw he fired up the laptop to find the address of his hostel Example sentencesExamples After a year's delay, loggers fired up the chainsaws on 4 April. A few times every spring and summer, Dad would fire up the old station wagon and drive us all to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. You want to shop for something, you don't go to a store, you just fire up a laptop or a smartphone and order it. I stumbled to my home office and fired up my laptop to see what the problem was. I fired up my DVD player, reclined in my easy chair, and let the film unfurl before me. Now is the perfect time to fire up the grill or prepare cool dishes such as salads, sandwiches and chilled soups like gazpacho. The wife hopped into the passenger seat with a smile; I fired the engine, dropped the top and we headed off with the sunset. When the driver releases the brake pedal, the "extra" battery fires up the engine. I rolled out of bed, fired up the computer, and a couple hours later I had the first chapter. It rained hard enough to chase us off the lake and back to the cabin to fire up the wood stove. Synonyms activate, set in motion, switch on, turn on, fire up 3.3archaic Set fire to. 〈古〉点燃 I fired the straw 我点燃了稻草。 4Stimulate or excite (the imagination or an emotion) 激起，唤起（想像，情感） India fired my imagination 印度让我浮想联翩。 Example sentencesExamples Writing and producing in a cross-cultural environment has fired his imagination and he has exploited the situation to the hilt. They don't fire the imagination or arouse the passions like the aristocratic love of honor. Anything is relevant to the pupil that fires the imagination or extends the mind. It is a vision that engages and fires his imagination. However, his imagination was fired by classic Westerns he had seen as a child. Meera's blind love for Krishna has fired the imagination of many poets. It's no wonder the Romans can fire our imaginations, but what values did they hold, to help them to such success? In the Dominican Republic, it fired the imagination of a vibrant people. Allende's vow to carry out a peaceful Socialist revolution fired the imagination of millions. He had been busy accumulating knowledge, and stories told to him by his grandfather and other old-timers had fired his imagination. Granada is also resonant with romance, having fired the imagination of Romantic poets and painters two centuries ago. Synonyms stimulate, stir up, excite, enliven, awaken, arouse, rouse, draw/call forth, bring out, engender, evoke, inflame, put/breathe life into, animate inspire, motivate, quicken, incite, drive, impel, spur on, galvanize, electrify, trigger, impassion 4.1 Fill (someone) with enthusiasm. 使充满热情；激励 he was fired up for last season's FA Cup final 上赛季的足协杯决赛令他激动不已。 Example sentencesExamples It is a subject that clearly fires him and he delves enthusiastically into the process of applying for landing slots and the use of cooking oil as a fuel. Certainly, running boards and helping nurture companies still fires him, as does his delight in seeing young people progress. He was fired with a purpose - to highlight the plight of the poor, suffering masses of India. He was ambitious of a wider effect: he was fired with the possibility that he might work out the proof of an anatomical conception and make a link in the chain of discovery. Synonyms activate, motivate, stimulate, actuate, move, drive, rouse, stir, stir up, arouse, energize, animate, fire prompt, incite, spark off, influence, impel, spur on, urge, goad 4.2fire uparchaic no object Show sudden anger. 〈古〉突然发怒 If I were to hear anyone speak slightingly of you, I should fire up in a moment 如果我听见谁言语间瞧不起你，我会立刻火冒三丈。 Synonyms stir up, arouse, rouse, excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, move, fire the enthusiasm of, fire the imagination of, get going, whip up, inflame, agitate, goad, provoke, spur on, urge, encourage, animate, incite, egg on North American light a fire under rare inspirit 5Bake or dry (pottery, bricks, etc.) in a kiln. 烧制（陶器、砖等） methane gas is being used to fire bricks at a nearby factory Example sentencesExamples The fire that was built over the pots excluded most of the oxygen which fired the pottery black or charcoal-grey. Now here's a chance to try your hand at making, glazing and firing your own Raku pieces. Pottery in Texas was fired in a groundhog kiln, so named because part of the kiln is buried in the earth. The first porcelain was fired at this manufactory in July 1766. He can do chores for you, such as firing your pottery. The factory uses combined electricity and coal-fired kilns for firing the bricks. When fired in a kiln at 1,250 degrees, the oxides and glass pieces melt to form a beautiful layer. Molding something out of clay, decorating it and glazing it, then firing it in the kiln is a fantastic experience for young artists. The temperature needed for firing pottery is between 700-1,000 centigrade. Clay can also be decorated with paint once it is dry or has been fired in a kiln. All methods require that the mould be fired in the kiln; the mould can then be used again for numerous replicas. After making the pottery shelters, the children watched as their efforts were fired in a kiln. The large size of the animals required both internal and external supports to prevent them from collapsing in the kiln during firing. Its lava streams and agricultural fields are made from tiles fired at the museum and from bricks fired by local brickyards. People using acrylic paints can take away the finished article, but those who prefer water-based paints must wait a few days while they are glazed and fired in a kiln. These are then fired in kilns and collected or posted out the following day. The houses and kivas of this period were heated with coal, which was also used for firing pottery. The inked tissue was then laid on the once-fired pottery item, and the pottery was glazed and fired again. The technique of making majolica begins with firing a piece of earthenware. Brick can also be fired to contain numerous color variations within a range of tones appearing in a single brick. Phrases breathe fire Be extremely angry. 盛怒，暴怒 the defeat has left him breathing fire Example sentencesExamples The new health minister entered the ring with the group breathing fire, promising a knock-down, drag-out struggle to the death, vowing there would be no retreat. As a strong police posse stood around watching, district fan club members gathered, forming an angry group and breathing fire at the critical references to their hero. He has worked with him as a player and a pundit and doesn't see much difference from the gum-chewing manager who used to breathe fire from the dugout. The other goon has been taken care of by this time by Alexias so Eavan and Lambeth bear down on the sheriff, Lambeth breathes fire at her and she backs off swearing. Scott McLean scored the resulting penalty, but John Lambie was left to breathe fire at his side as Ian Ferguson snatched an unlikely equaliser on 65 minutes. He joined the race late and went on rightwing talk radio, breathing fire with a slight southern drawl against abortion, divorce You can bet your last dollar if this happened in my school district I would be raising hell so fast and so loud I would be breathing fire. I wasn't breathing fire in every scene, but I wanted to get across that he was a psychotic. Its new leader, its military wing, are breathing fire essentially. Well, to go around with a father who breathes fire every time you go out to someone's house… catch fire 1Begin to burn. 开始燃烧，着火 the driver had got out before the car had caught fire Example sentencesExamples But nowadays, we very much hope that we don't get cars catching fire. After the rectory caught fire and burned down in July 1702, he changed his mind. The electricity sparked and sections of the subway began to catch fire. The moth eventually catches fire, burns and dies; consumed by the very mystery it sought. He spoke to the driver who made no response, and because of his concern that the car could catch fire he disconnected its battery. The defendant employed a chauffeur, and on one occasion when he was attempting to start the car it caught fire. It was rare that a race report didn't include at least one car catching fire or sailing off course on the top end. He said the assault happened when the contents of an aerosol sprayed at the boy's head caught fire, burning his eyebrows and hair. In a finely divided form, the metal may catch fire spontaneously and burn vigorously. ‘Cars catching fire is a very frequent occurrence in Shanghai,’ Jiang said. Synonyms ignite, catch light, burst into flames, go up in flames, begin to burn 1.1Become interesting or exciting. 〈喻〉吸引人，引起人们的兴趣；激动人心 the show never caught fire 演出从来都没有引起过人们的兴趣。 Example sentencesExamples Brian Maloney has an interesting post up about Air America's failure to catch fire with listeners. Suddenly history smouldered, warmed up, caught fire and burned into my consciousness. September 17 was the day the inquiry caught fire. They're just now getting interested in the campaign, but he hasn't caught fire. As the game began to catch fire in the States, business proved brisk. I think they've really caught fire and really have done something very, very important. But unless consumers notice a dramatic change for the better, Firefox could really begin to catch fire - and outfox Internet Explorer. The offensive began in Paris just as the market began to catch fire. fire and brimstone The supposed torments of hell. 地狱里的磨难 his father was preaching fire and brimstone sermons 他父亲在作有关地狱磨难的布道。 Example sentencesExamples In contrast to the old-style fire and brimstone, today's efforts to curb personal freedoms and erode civil liberties are justified in the terms of health and safety. With the fire and brimstone of the Old Testament, the parishioner condemns his perversion. Rather than turn people onto religion with threats of fire and brimstone, the association of decidedly modern churches' messages open a gentler gateway into the fold. A distinct thread of superstition - of curses, of fire and brimstone, and of the inherent existence of evil in human nature - runs throughout. After a couple of hours of telling off and hell fire and brimstone the priest was leaving. It was on the subject he had been assigned by his apparently normal suburban Catholic school: Hell, and all its fire and brimstone. They had hymns, a sermon with fire and brimstone, and all the usual traditional elements. Irrespective of all the fire and brimstone, he should do the right thing and immediately withdraw his inconsiderate remarks with a full apology. Viki looked at the two sympathetically, these two have been through hell fire and brimstone to be with each other. Those, who in their mind did not deserve to uphold the ‘bedrock of society’, would be chastised with fire and brimstone. Synonyms the netherworld, the abode of the dead, the land of the dead, the infernal regions, the inferno, the nether regions, the abyss fire away informal Used to give someone permission to begin speaking, typically to ask questions. 〈非正式〉用以表示许可请讲，请讲话；请提问 ‘I want to clear up some questions which have been puzzling me.’ ‘Fire away.’ “我想澄清一些一直让我困惑的问题。”“请讲。” Example sentencesExamples I patiently waited until he finished, and then told him to fire away. As always, this is meant to open up some discussion and feedback, so feel free to fire away. And she's going to read from that and then we'll fire away some questions. Should you think otherwise, well, I'm a big boy; fire away. If any of you reading this article has a question, then fire away! Whatever you've always wanted to know, fire away! ‘Okay, fire away,’ I replied with a small smirk dancing on my lips. I'll have a couple of questions and then we'll have both Christiane and Nic fire away as well. If you have a burning question that's of interest to all, fire away. He showed up and gave a speech that went: ‘I don't have a speech, but if you have questions, fire away.’ fire in the (or one's) belly A powerful sense of ambition or determination. 雄心壮志；坚定的决心 he lacks the fire in his belly necessary to seek the presidency Example sentencesExamples It's an attitude, a presence, a fire in your belly. That's I think enough for me; I don't know that I have the fire in my belly to try to launch another one and go through the whole thing that happens when you do that. He is like a prizefighter determined to show that there is still some fire in his belly. The 2003 Jobs with Justice Annual Meeting has left me with a fire in my belly. I felt the union needed someone with fire in their belly but even then there were guys warning me that in backing him I would rue the day. It gives me more determination and a bit of fire in my belly to prove people wrong. If you have a real fire in your belly about an idea, then you need to carry it through’. Kilkeel played with fire in their belly and deserved their point. Matt from Winnipeg told me, ‘They've put the fire in my belly to fight this for the rest of my life.’ It's enough if you have the attitude and the fire in your belly. fire on all cylinders Work or function at a peak level of performance. 开足马力；鼓足干劲 neither conductor nor orchestra are really firing on all cylinders Example sentencesExamples Last night was a great example of a band firing on all cylinders and while we don't think the new record quite survived the transition to a big label intact, live at least, every song is a killer. But I hope to back firing on all cylinders from the middle of January, 2004. The forward line needs to be firing on all cylinders, and the team's penalty corner drill needs to be imaginative and forceful. Liverpool were still not firing on all cylinders, but were looking good enough to get the win and, at this stage of the season, that's all that matters. I feel as if I'm still three or four weeks away (from match fitness), I just feel as if I'm not firing on all cylinders. Records are there to be broken and Celtic are firing on all cylinders just now. On a technical level, Scorsese is firing on all cylinders, but emotionally the film is a bit distant. The Clan came out firing on all cylinders in the first game. England have oozed that sort of confidence throughout this current campaign, and have carried on winning even when not firing on all cylinders. They say, except for jobs creation, the economy was firing on all cylinders from July through September. go on fire Begin to burn; catch fire. 开始燃烧，着火 an oil rig went on fire Example sentencesExamples The Vauxhall was driven into a crash barrier made up of the tyres and either went on fire or was set alight. We made a U-turn, a taxi hit us, then the car went on fire but it didn't explode. The last time the emergency plan was activated in Mayo was on April 1st, 1999, when a Belmullet factory went on fire. ‘We are very thankful to everyone who helped at the scene and to whoever sprayed the car with a fire extinguisher and stopped it going on fire,’ reflected Tom McDonald, father of Tomás. No reason cited yet, so far, but 350 barrels of fuel basically went on fire in that area. Regular cleaning reduces the risk of equipment going on fire. AROUND 360 pupils had to be evacuated from a Bessbrook primary school and sheltered in a nearby church hall after part of the school's roof went on fire. A few weeks ago in Newry someone was irresponsible with fireworks and it resulted in an oil tank at the back of a property going on fire. When my house goes on fire or when I have a car accident, I want to know that you people will be there for me in an instant. A silage harvester went on fire on Tuesday, May 18 at Clone, Aughrim. And a coach which goes on fire with passengers in it is a horror which should not happen. An oil pipe was cut with an angle grinder and apparently the sparks caused the oil to go on fire. Then building after building went on fire, tiny sparks of heat filling the air. He was killed when the cottage he was renting went on fire. Since it was abandoned after it went on fire, a legacy of lethal radioactive substances remains. Following the incident, the emission of sparks from the line caused the area around the line to go on fire. She kept wondering what she would do if the equipment went on fire. Then disaster strikes and the old home goes on fire. It is understood that controlled burning was taking place at the premises around noon but the fire spread to a stack of some 2,000 pallets and as the blaze took hold a 40-foot container filled with cured sheepskin rugs also went on fire. A worried mother contacted him after her child had received a leg injury when his coat went on fire. go through fire (and water) Face any peril. 赴汤蹈火 Example sentencesExamples He has been through a lot, and when a man is tested, you don't know what he's made of until he really goes through fire. He became a father-figure to young athletes, who would go through fire for him. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water. She would go through fire and ice for Natai, whether she knew it or not. The tragedy of this woman lies in the rejection of her awesome sacrifice by the very person for whom she went through fire: her son Bharata. The psalmist exemplifies this attitude and praises God, ‘Israel's deliverer,’ who has ‘given life to our souls,’ for although ‘we went through fire and water… you have led us out to refreshment.’ You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. light a fire under Stimulate (someone) to work or act more quickly or enthusiastically. 〈北美〉激励某人更快（或更加热情）地工作（或办事） claiming that Congress doesn't work hard enough is a good way to light a fire under his colleagues Example sentencesExamples I think that lights a fire under the Senators to do their work quickly. Suddenly he remembered something that lit a fire under him. Meanwhile, the musical subculture Tee helped build is lighting a fire under more traditional DJs looking to add some new sounds to their sets. This is the type of bold move that will light a fire under the Yankees. They can move mountains with their enthusiasm and energy and light a fire under almost anything. Eventually, I think, something will happen, some spark will be set off that lights a fire under this market. Massenet's strong yet impulsively teenager-ish heroine seems to have lit a fire under her, because here she is at her best. I'm ready to do everything I can to make a difference and light a fire under people. Maybe if I fire a couple of laggards that'll light a fire under them! I hope this challenge to his position lights a fire under his coat tails because he has the capacity to be an excellent trial attorney. Synonyms encourage, act as a fillip to, act as a impetus to, act as a incentive to, act as a spur to, act as a stimulus to, prompt, prod, move, motivate, trigger, spark, spur on, galvanize, activate, kindle, fire, fire with enthusiasm, fuel, whet, nourish on fire 1In flames; burning. 起火，着火；在燃烧 the house was on fire Example sentencesExamples He claimed her neighbour's house was on fire and said she had to grab her valuables and leave. She had realised her house was on fire when she touched a door handle and discovered it was hot. The intrepid dad ran outside to find his van was on fire and flames were spreading to the front of his home. If your house was on fire, what one item would you grab as you dashed to safety? A terraced house was on fire, with smoke and flames pouring from the ground and first floor windows. He recounts the time a journalist asked him what three things he would save were his house on fire. A log in that unsightly pile writhed as if it were already on fire, though the flames had not quite reached it. A next door neighbour, who called the fire brigade, said at first she thought it was her house which was on fire. When they looked outside they realised one of the houses was on fire and screams were heard. With another soldier, he helped remove a sideboard from a house that was on fire at the request of the woman who lived there. Synonyms burning, ablaze, blazing, aflame, in flames, flaming, raging, fiery 1.1In a state of excitement. 处于激动（或兴奋）状态 Wright is now on fire with confidence 赖特现在信心十足。 Example sentencesExamples Paddy Murray was on fire and rattled over five exquisite points in a blistering opening half. The crowd was literally on fire, as couples jived as if there was no tomorrow. York were on fire and skipper for the day Sean Bass picked up an awkward pass off his toes. After a poor performance in Cork the previous weekend the home side were always going to come out on fire. The troupe was literally on fire, as they turned, swayed and bent showing amazing skills. He was on fire in the opening 20 minutes but he was also guilty of a lack of finishing touch. Trevor Smullen, in the other corner, was also on fire, landing five points from play. They are on fire, a team full of confidence and ability and belief in each other. Pat Harte was on fire for the entire sixty minutes and scored some crucial points during the game. Synonyms ardent, passionate, fervent, intense, excited, aflutter return fire Retaliate by shooting back. police returned fire and wounded him Example sentencesExamples A seven-year veteran of the army, he grabs his rifle and returns fire. The sheriff said three other officers returned fire. In self-defence, the force immediately returned fire and killed the two aggressors. If there is an extraction of our people, they can return fire to defend themselves. His fellow guards returned fire, wounding the suspect, his name. Troops were attacked by grenades and small arms and returned fire, killing three. The Ministry of Defence said that the soldiers returned fire after coming under attack. set fire to Cause to burn; ignite. 点燃，放火烧，使燃烧 the town's police station was set on fire Example sentencesExamples Toilet blocks were set on fire and lighting masts pulled down during a two-hour rampage that caused damage estimated at £250,000. Giggling nervously, one girl lit a match and set a twig on fire. He said his own radio had been burned when their vehicle had been set on fire. We have had fires galore and one family was burnt out when someone set a wheelie bin on fire in their porch. Miraculously he never burned himself or set the house on fire. She then lit a match, setting the goo on fire, and brushed up the ashes. Under the watchful eye of the local fire department, we set the test facility on fire. It set the entire area on fire, burning down trees, grass, animals, and anything else that got in its way. Since then her home has been set on fire and her car torched once, stolen twice and broken into three times. Hundreds of young men attacked the newspaper's office on Wednesday, set it on fire and burned copies of the paper. Synonyms light, ignite, kindle, set fire to, set on fire, set alight, set ablaze, put a match to, touch off, spark off, incinerate set the world on fire (also set the world alight) Do something remarkable or sensational. 做出引起轰动（或惊世骇俗）的事 the film hasn't exactly set the world on fire 这部影片并没有真正引起轰动。 the team includes great players who could set the world alight Synonyms succeed, achieve success, be successful, be a success, do well, get ahead, reach the top, become famous, achieve recognition, distinguish oneself, set the world on fire take fire Start to burn. 开始燃烧，着火 petrol from the upturned car flooded across the street and took fire under fire 1Being shot at. 遭到炮火的袭击 observers sent to look for the men came under heavy fire 派去寻找那些人的观察员遭到了一场密集的炮火袭击。 Example sentencesExamples My unit is the first unit to build under fire since World War II over the Rhine River. It was one of the first beach landings of the war, and the Americans came under fire. Armies would thus come under fire long before they could even see their enemy, let alone attack his positions. At Pourville, too, the South Saskatchewan Regiment beached without coming under fire. Many tales of Harrison's heroism and bravery under fire were retold by veterans. The following year Banting received the Military Cross for bravery under fire. They were under fire from the enemy, but their service and skills were needed desperately. Sgt Cox showed personal courage and skill while under fire from hostile militia. He was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in treating casualties under fire in the desert. Instructions were, should the ship come under fire, to tend wounded regardless of their own safety. 1.1Being rigorously criticized. 遭到严厉批评 the president was under fire from all sides 校长遭到了各方的严厉批评。 Example sentencesExamples The council is currently investigating the way it is run after coming under fire for its handling of a number of key issues in the town over the last year. A public schools district plan to teach a bible course is coming under fire from critics. The four-sided, four metre-high sculpture came under fire from critics who branded it a waste of money. The penny seems to have dropped at head office, which has been under fire from critics for its woeful neglect of its European operations. He is already under fire from critics in his own party for failing to return immediately to Washington once the hijackings got under way. The government also came under fire for not putting enough resources into education and social services. Actors, directors and critics all come under fire as we are invited to laugh at the melodramatic play within a play. Plans for a £5 surcharge on speeding tickets to fund victim support services came under fire last night. The society's leadership is now under fire from numerous critics in academia and the science community. Charter airlines based at Manchester Airport have come under fire in a critical consumer survey. where's the fire? informal Used to ask someone why they are in such a hurry or state of excitement. 〈非正式〉干吗这么急（或兴奋）？ ‘Where's the fire?’ he demanded, as Sergeant Ellers turned on the siren Derivatives fireless adjective There are many thousand fireless hearth places in Dublin on the bitterest days of winter. 20,000 families live in one-room tenements. Example sentencesExamples A pot of water was sitting on the fireless hearth, and Mrs. Watts was nowhere in sight. The author cites Victorian novels showing that a smoky hearth symbolized the warmth and comfort of a loving family, while a fireless house indicated destitution. ‘Well, here we have it all,’ she said, turning to Wolf wearily, ‘the stuff of the common life: an empty pot, a bed of dry leaves, and soon a fireless hearth.’ He was standing at the fireless fireplace, looking at some of our family photos and glanced up when I walked in. firer noun A weapons amnesty, covering firearms, imitations, air weapons and blank firers, together with knives and other weapons, was launched across Surrey this week. Example sentencesExamples The army selected 12 firers from the top 52 for its initial sniper class. So you have a lot more flexibility if you're the hirer and the firer. More than half of all the guns relinquished in Greater Manchester were ‘airsoft’ weapons like plastic-pellet firers, or ball-bearing guns and replica firearms. We've had air and soft air pistols, air rifles, blank firers and replica guns surrendered, which is an excellent result. Origin Old English fȳr (noun), fȳrian 'supply with material for a fire', of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer. In ancient and medieval thought fire was seen, along with water, air, and earth, as one of the four elements. The word goes back to an ancient root that also gave us the Greek word for fire, pur, the source of pyre (mid 17th century) and pyromaniac (mid 19th century). The phrase fire and brimstone is a traditional description of the torments of hell. In the biblical book of Revelation there is a reference to ‘a lake of fire burning with brimstone’. Brimstone (Old English) is an old word for sulphur, and literally means ‘burning stone’. A fire-and-brimstone sermon is one that gives vivid warning of the dangers of going to hell if you misbehave. To set the world on fire is to do something remarkable. An earlier British version was to set the Thames on fire, and a Scottish one is set the heather on fire. Whichever version is used, it tends to be with a negative implication. In Anthony Trollope's novel The Eustace Diamonds (1873) Lady Glencora is clear about the limitations of ‘poor Lord Fawn’ who ‘will never set the Thames on fire’. Rhymes acquire, admire, afire, applier, aspire, attire, ayah, backfire, barbwire, bemire, briar, buyer, byre, choir, conspire, crier, cryer, defier, denier, desire, dire, drier, dryer, dyer, enquire, entire, esquire, expire, flyer, friar, fryer, Gaia, gyre, hellfire, hire, hiya, ire, Isaiah, jambalaya, Jeremiah, Josiah, Kintyre, latria, liar, lyre, Maia, Maya, Mayer, messiah, mire, misfire, Nehemiah, Obadiah, papaya, pariah, peripeteia, perspire, playa, Praia, prior, pyre, quire, replier, scryer, shire, shyer, sire, skyer, Sophia, spire, squire, supplier, Surabaya, suspire, tier, tire, transpire, trier, tumble-dryer, tyre, Uriah, via, wire, Zechariah, Zedekiah, Zephaniah noun.1 phr. Definition of fire in US English: fire nounˈfī(ə)rˈfaɪ(ə)r 1Combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke. 火 his house was destroyed by fire 他的房子被烧毁了。 Example sentencesExamples You are more likely to die from smoke inhalation than fire. In minutes, a small but bright fire sent a thick stream of black smoke skywards. As I tried to make my escape downhill, a cloud of smoke from another fire enveloped me. There was no fire, and no trace that any fire had ever been lit there. Even at one in the morning, they did not flinch when a roaring explosion of fire and smoke lit the sky behind them. When the kill had been made, Jimmy would light a small heather fire to make a smoke signal. The different types of nozzles used to deal with different kinds of fire and smoke were also shown. The important thing to remember, Mr Ridgway said, is that keeping a building protected from the perils of fire is an ongoing process. Away in the distance were fires where people were burning coal, and there would be a light from a forest fire. Build small, hot fires for maximum burning of volatile gases and for fewer air quality and other safety problems. It was already very late and the light from the fire was not bright enough to show all the features of Faith's face. A fire door will prevent smoke and fire from spreading to other parts of the building. During a total Fire Ban, no fire of any kind may be lit in the open. The drapes had been closed and the room was dark except for the flickering light of the dying fire. Suddenly a bright light, fire in fact, flared in front of her face, and a torch was lit. They are also warning of the danger of fire associated with cigarette smoking. He said sprinklers were effective on all fires and reduced the amount of damage caused by fire, smoke and water. A large fire is usually burning, and many tall diving stories are told. 1.1 A destructive burning of something. 火灾 a fire at a hotel 酒店的一场火灾。 Example sentencesExamples During the riots many small fires, including burning cars, were left to burn for long periods. They spent three hours there and the whole house was badly damaged by fire and smoke. This was achieved after improved park management contained the destructive annual fires and reduced livestock grazing and poaching. With the fires still burning deep within the mangled wreckage, it may be months before the area is cleared by health and safety authorities. Orange flames lit the sky as fire destroyed a building on Duke Street during the wee hours of yesterday morning. Many destructive fires start during such times since potential fire hazards can go unnoticed in the relative darkness. The Fire Service admitted that it was one of the most destructive fires they had witnessed in a number of years. The area below her was littered with twisted metal and burning fires. They sat around the fires of the burning town until the sun rose in the East. One of the biggest and most destructive of those fires is bearing down on another resort town, Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County. The Siberian northern boreal forests, called Taiga, where the fires were burning are mainly spruce and fir trees. Those of you who have had fires know how destructive they can be. Every summer it seems America is reawakened to the destructive forces of forest fires. The fire had caused serious smoke and heat damage to the property, he said. Experts believe more destructive fires are in our future. At times the reserve staff will start a ‘cold’ fire that is less destructive than latter fires when the grass becomes dry. Synonyms blaze, conflagration, inferno, holocaust, firestorm 1.2 A collection of fuel, especially wood or coal, burned in a controlled way to provide heat or a means for cooking. （尤指烧煤或木柴的）炉火，灶火 our small kettle was kept constantly on the fire Example sentencesExamples Of course the fire was lit and tea was made on a regular basis. Much cooking is done in huge pots over a wood fire, stirring ingredients with a long stick. I see myself reclining by a roaring peat fire, glass of whisky in one hand, fat piece of shortbread in the other. Conditions were primitive and patients arrived suffering from malaria, crocodile or snake bites, or burns from open cooking fires. Taking another swig of his beer, his eyes came to rest on a stumbling figure walking away from the warmth of the large fire. Under five sawn-off oil barrels fierce wood fires are burning: on top of them are the woks of giants, each as wide as I can stretch my arms. Women are also responsible for collection of fuel for cooking fires. Columns of smoke from cooking fires and controlled burns seemed to dangle groundward from the sky. It shines on both of us, she thought, turning back to the room and her warmly lit fire. One evening the air grew cold, and so the men went about collecting wood to build a fire. The only need the people had for wood was for fires, and that was provided more than amply enough by the smaller trees scattered along the edge of the forest. The fire is lit well ahead of time to allow the wood to burn down to non-flaming coals. Shivering, through the cold of his body, he dropped to the warmth of the dying fire. Yasuko warmly welcomed her inside and offered her a bowl of soup and the warmth of his fire. Coal and wood fires smell wonderful but are messy and time-consuming. A little ahead of the bed he was on, was a small fireplace with a dim lit fire. 1.3 One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology. Example sentencesExamples Aries is a fire sign, Cancer a water sign, so this duet is at odds. The gift of the fire signs is creative inspiration, evolving into an endless supply of bright ideas and contagious enthusiasm. A chart that is strong in fire will be optimistic, energetic and, as the name implies, fiery. Like all the fire signs, Leos are idealistic and don't hold back from expressing their passion. For them, fire has its spirits, so do trees and birds and wild animals. A true Sagittarian to the end, little Bonnie Blue, with her parents, completed the element of fire. Jupiter has rulership in the remaining fire sign Sagittarius, so he is the participating ruler. People with an emphasis on the fire element tend to be outgoing, inspirational and ‘fiery’. Like many of his contemporaries, he regarded heat as a physical substance, rather like the ancient elemental fire. The five elements of Nature, air, fire, land, water and ether have an effect on every human being. Associated with the element of fire and the sun in astrology, the plant was often used in floral oracle readings. The Emperor is often associated with Aries, which is a strong and assertive astrological fire sign. 2A burning sensation in the body. 火烧似的感觉 the whiskey lit a fire in the back of his throat 威士忌让他的喉咙深处火辣辣的。 Example sentencesExamples The minute her hand made contact with the metal a very sharp pain that felt like fire ran up her entire arm. Brad's eyes bugged out and he clutched his face as pain like fire ripped through his head. 2.1 Fervent or passionate emotion or enthusiasm. 激情，热情 the fire of their religious conviction 他们笃信宗教的热情。 Example sentencesExamples Check it out and remind yourself how real music should be played with fire and skill, heart and soul, love and affection. Naomh Eoin played a fantastic match, full of fire and passion, so much so they were in front for all but 17 minutes. The prophets of the Temple period opposed paganism with all of their ethical fire and passion. Maybe I would have less passion, less fire, less anger driving me to make the world a better place. Tony's fire and enthusiasm has always been a delight, but desire gets you nowhere by itself. She was tiny too, I guessed barely five feet, and yet she seemed to have fire and passion in her eyes. His fear bubbled to the surface, quelling the fire of his enthusiasm as he saw how irregular her breathing was. There are moments when he shows a glimpse of his old flair and fire but they are just that, moments. He does what he does best, puts fire into men's hearts, plants the seeds of war. The dancing at Arios is great but what is missing here is fire and passion among the dancers. It was a great team effort with the lads playing with fire, passion, determination and a tremendous will to win. It's weak, saggy and missing even a spark of fire or passion. So, in anticipation of the great event, we might as well get into the spirit and put some fire into our bellies too. It was played with passion and fire, by a massive orchestra. Synonyms dynamism, energy, vigour, animation, vitality, vibrancy, exuberance, ebullience, zest, elan 2.2literary Luminosity; glow. 〈诗/文〉光明，光辉；光亮 their soft smiles light the air like a star's fire 他们的温柔微笑如星光一般照亮了天空。 3The shooting of projectiles from weapons, especially bullets from guns. 射击，开火；炮火（尤指枪炮射出的子弹） a burst of machine-gun fire 一阵机枪扫射。 Example sentencesExamples We expected mortars to be added to the rifle and machinegun fire, but the Germans did not use them. A burst of machinegun fire hit the ground in front of them so that they were sprayed by a shower of broken bullets and stones. A burst of machine-gun fire from one of the tanks slammed into a wall a few metres away. Almost immediately there was a sustained burst of machine-gun fire just up the road from us here. The crackle of heavy machine-gun fire echoed across the capital and allied aircraft were heard overhead. The attackers sprayed a truck full of policemen with machine-gun fire. Four men were cut down by machine-gun fire in a gangland-style shooting. Suddenly it came under a concentrated barrage of German artillery and machinegun fire. The enemy met descending paratroopers with heavy small arms and machinegun fire. The tube belched fire and the projectile covered the short distance to the tank in an instant. He lasted just 24 days at Gallipoli before he was killed by machine-gun fire. Batteries and small groups of infantry were attacked with machine-gun fire. Our giggling stopped with a burst followed by an answering burst of machine-gun fire coming from the river about fifty yards away. However, in the hail of bullets and recoilless rifle fire, over fifty hostages had been killed. Skirting the village, the group crossed a little canal and came under intense mortar fire. A rocket had hit the trunk and it was caught in a hail of machinegun fire but it kept going until it was out of site. Automatic weapon fire dissolved the first car in a snowstorm of broken glass. On his second tour of duty in Korea, he was cut down by enemy machine-gun fire. Three hours later a second Chinook sent to rescue him was hit by machine-gun fire and another rocket-propelled grenade. The spread of radio sets made tactical separation easier and improved the control of artillery and mortar fire. Synonyms gunfire, firing, sniping, flak, bombardment 3.1 Strong criticism or antagonism. 猛烈的批评；敌意 he directed his fire against policies promoting American capital flight 他猛烈抨击了促使美国资本外逃的政策。 Example sentencesExamples Hitler himself was occasionally caught in the line of fire of criticism. Moving on now, a top official fired back today as his government has come under critical fire. But it is against Christianity as an organized phenomenon that Russell most directed his fire. This episode, recorded only by Luke, has come under some serious critical fire. He takes hostile fire from the press after jumping into the presidential race. This time, his fire will be directed at local officials and police who may not be pulling their weight in the battle against drugs. Critics of this approach - and there are many - direct their fire at two of its arguments. You've taken some quick and direct fire on basically asking women to return to the care of children. Their fire should be directed at the main parties who have let this situation arise. She had to flee Guatemala to come to Canada after her work with trade unions put her in direct fire of the local cartels in her home country. While he has taken most of the flak, the main fire should be directed at his partner. Despite drawing critical fire and reactionary ire, the show's back for a second series. While his fire was directed mainly at the press, he believes hostility lurks in the government and among the general public. Synonyms criticism, censure, condemnation, castigation, denunciation, opprobrium, admonishments, vituperation, scolding, chiding verbˈfī(ə)rˈfaɪ(ə)r [with object] 1Discharge a gun or other weapon in order to explosively propel (a bullet or projectile) 射出，发射（子弹，抛射体） he fired a shot at the retreating prisoners 他朝着后退中的囚犯开了一枪。 they fired off a few rounds 他们开了几轮枪。 Example sentencesExamples Firing pin marks on cartridge cases and ejector marks on shells also can be used to provide clues to the type or make of the weapon that fired the bullet. The moment came, and with the twelfth shot fired off, the bullets ceased and Johner drew back behind the barricade to reload his gun. A British ballistic missile submarine has fired torpedoes at an American destroyer - all for the sake of research. The Vulcan works by firing a projectile at high speed into a landmine, ripping it apart without detonating the explosives. For the highest pressures, brute force is applied in the form of the shock-wave apparatus, in which a projectile is fired at the sample. By 1916 he had devised a method to calculate the position from which the projectile was fired very accurately allowing enemy gun locations to be targeted. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The soldiers firing the projectiles were his heroes. Warfare is the next step with the powers of hot gas being harnessed to fire projectiles from cannons or small arms. Ammunition stocks disappeared as artillery fired projectiles far in excess of prewar projections. They fired a rubber bullet which bounced off the wall and I went to get it. More than 125 people were arrested and scores more injured by police, who, in addition to tear gas and rubber bullets, fired live ammunition at the workers. In suppressing the Quebec City protests, Canadian police for the first time used the impact weapon Arwen 37 which fires rubber bullets. Six workers were injured after troops fired plastic bullets and teargas and then baton-charged the crowd. Six of the crude projectiles were fired, damaging two houses but causing no injuries. Police said rubber bullets were fired, while the union claimed that birdshot had been used. When this projectile is fired into trash piles, trucks, or boxes, it sticks to the target and sends back data. If the projectile is fired parallel to the ground, this effect causes the typical downward curved trajectory. Synonyms launch, shoot, discharge, eject, hurl, throw, send flying, let fly with, loose off, shy, send shoot, discharge, let off, trigger, set off, blast 1.1 Discharge (a gun or other weapon) 放，开（枪等武器） no object troops fired on crowds 军队朝人群开了枪。 another gang fired a pistol Example sentencesExamples Only a few weeks ago, there was a small gang of very young children firing an air rifle in the children's area of the park. A woman on disability benefits narrowly missed being hurt by a youth firing an air rifle - twice in 24 hours. They began beating them with clubs, and then fired water cannons at them. A teacher who was jailed for firing an air pistol while confronting a gang of youths outside her home was freed on appeal yesterday. When they fired back, he and his crew fired both guns directly into them. Even the fun of watching the frigate fire her guns did not help my airsickness. He fired a machine gun and a few small missiles at it. Others have suggested that he held on to the pistol while firing the shotgun one-handed. But there were clashes as demonstrators tried to break through and police drove them back, firing water cannons and tear gas. They spoke of incidents of violence, which included a disabled woman twice narrowly escaping injury from a youth firing an air rifle and a pensioner's pet dog being shot dead. It was hard to see the extent of the damage because the windscreen was dirty after firing the gun. Airmen, needless to say, showed themselves eager, hurling grenades and firing their weapons at targets on the ground from the earliest days of the war. He studied the simple pistol grip that fired the main gun. Vandals have fired an air rifle at the windows of a pre-school. You'll notice in my data that I never reached the factory-specified velocities, firing either carbines or rifles. Someone fired an air rifle at the rear of the school site and three pupils were slightly injured. The gang fired the gun at the glass security screen of the Post Office in Halifax Road, Cullingworth, at 10 am on Monday but fled empty handed. Suddenly he heard the distinct noise of a Gatling gun being fired. They ran through a block of single story residences, throwing grenades and firing their weapons. Back in March youngsters fired an air gun rifle at a female youth worker and hit her in the leg. 1.2no object (of a gun) be discharged. （枪、炮）发射；开火 Example sentencesExamples Within 50 yards the German machine guns started firing and men began to fall. I first hear his machine guns firing and I turn my head in shock. The guns are firing before they can even start to move. Only a second later did he begin to charge, his guns firing. The Gatling guns all fired simultaneously, tearing through the rear of the vehicle and into the trunk. According to first findings, the guard was shot down with eight or nine bullets from a machine gun fired by an unknown number of assailants who had approached him. The SAW machine guns began firing through the windows, blowing huge chunks out of the apartment's brick façade. The three close upon the Dornier with all their guns firing. Mr Reed, who owns his own haulage company, was in the park when he heard an air rifle being fired. A scream suddenly echoed throughout the gardens, startling us both, followed by a dull bang that could have been a gun firing and a body hitting the ground. The screen showed the gun firing very accurately at a target. The attack on Rommel's lines started with over 800 artillery guns firing at the German lines. Unexpectedly they heard a very distinct sound; a gun firing. As the planes flew overhead, all the guns started firing. Narrowly above him, a machine gun fired into the thin air. He cracked his neck, and it sounded like a gun firing. A second later anti-air guns began firing at the craft. The guns started firing on the first step I took. The two of them moved together, their guns fired almost at the same time, twin weapons discharging loudly into the near silence. However, Leon quickly broke the sound barrier, running to the other side of the Geno, the side where the guns weren't firing. 1.3 Direct (questions or statements, especially unwelcome ones) toward someone in rapid succession. （向某人）连珠炮似的（或猛烈地）发出（不受欢迎的问题等） they fired questions at me for what seemed like ages 他们没完没了地向我连连发问。 Example sentencesExamples I should add that the stations' hosts were genial even as they fired questions at me that they will have heard other guests or callers refer to repeatedly. For a quiz programme, it was quite a short one, with the questions being fired rapidly, and answered with equal speed by the contestants. Mukesh also faced questions fired by students with characteristic ease. And Les, a veteran of such events, said he was hoping to fire some questions at the minister. However, he still was not content and he fired one more question at me. The questions were fired at the panel in the village institute and all went smoothly. While it may be called speed dating this does not mean you need to fire questions rapidly across the table. Presumably there were questions fired at him about the fact that he's said to have admitted lying. The youngsters fired questions on acting, dubbing, editing as well as shooting. They all faced John Campbell of TV3 who had the task of not only firing the questions but of keeping order, and harder still keeping their answers on track. She fires questions at them, most requiring only basic general knowledge. A huge media pack fired questions as the three, visibly upset, rushed past with their faces covered. As the climax approaches, dozens of reporters run onto the stage, firing questions about the scandal in every direction. Parents fired questions at the administration about how the institution is dealing with the double cohort. They are also having great fun, absorbed in what they are doing, breaking off only to fire insistent questions at their teacher. Synonyms throw, toss, fling, pitch, cast, lob, launch, flip, catapult, shy, dash, send, bowl, aim, direct, project, propel, let fly 1.4fire something off Send a message aggressively, especially as one of a series. 怒气冲冲地寄发（短信，尤指一系列的短信之一） he fired off a letter informing her that he regarded the matter with the utmost seriousness 他气愤地给她发了一封信，告诉她说他看待此事非常认真。 Example sentencesExamples Around 4.5 million emails are fired off by Britain's workforce every day, many of them including non-work related content. The problem with email excess is that people often just fire them off without giving much thought to whether the message was really needed or whether the content was right. I fired my letter off to the Speaker immediately. A U-turn only came about when the Evening Advertiser contacted a local MP, who fired a letter off to the Foreign Office. Once you've got your message written, you can fire it off to anywhere in the world for 22 cents. However, senior Army officials felt differently, firing last-minute faxes off in an effort to stall or defeat the amendment. He promptly fired a letter off, through his lawyer, declaring he that was confounded by the request that he assent to any such payment. ‘Yeah, I had physics, chemistry, biology, maths and general studies,’ he fires them off nonchalantly. He should do his homework before he fires letters off to your paper. So we wrote the letter to the management company, fired it off, got a reply - which was much appreciated - and left it. I fire the email off to about five different places. In Tang Hall, 524 people signed objecting letters, and 72 protest letters were fired off to city chiefs. Obviously he wasn't getting the attention he craved while we were all asleep on this side of the world, so it must have made sense to type out some bizarre stuff in emails and fire them off to me. As I learned later, Miss Nightingale herself hated all the ‘lady with the lamp’ guff and was much happier ploughing through volumes of public health statistics or firing sharp letters off to cabinet ministers. Jacqueline Clarke as octogenarian pianist Jeanette had the best of the one-liners - firing them off like Mae West in her prime - while Tommy Knight as Jerry's son Nath is a little star in the making. 2informal Dismiss (an employee) from a job. 〈非正式〉开除；解雇 having to fire men who've been with me for years 不得不解雇跟随我多年的人。 you're fired! 你被解雇了！ Example sentencesExamples In May 2003, he fired his deputy and two other lawmakers and appointed Mumba to the deputy position. He has fired his attorneys, accusing them of conspiring against him. This story apparently came to light when an assistant district attorney was fired for settling the case and not informing his superior. The problem is that the paper has fired this trainee journalist presumably due to public pressure and not, one assumes, some facts of his resume. During his trial, he fired his attorney and insisted on representing himself. There is a reluctance on the part of broadcast executives to fire presenters who stir up public outrage - because it sells. He also fired the country's prosecutor general as demanded by the opposition. The constitution gives the powers of hiring or firing magistrates to the Judicial Service Commission, which Gicheru chairs. We should examine why it is virtually impossible to fire a policeman. As it happens, a few readers have written in to say that firing a couple aides at random might marginally improve the situation as well. From the start of this year, the president has had the right to effectively hire and fire governors. He fired his deputy president for having ties to a businessman who was recently convicted of corruption. A disciplinary hearing was held and the messenger was fired. He says that in a few instances, solely on account of their bad report cards, he has fired salespeople who were writing up heaps of orders. We don't fire professors in the United States for their views when we are in our right minds. A couple of years ago, a Bell Labs professor was fired over fake data. Synonyms dismiss, discharge, give someone their notice, make redundant, lay off, let go, throw out, get rid of, oust, depose 3Supply (a furnace, engine, boiler, or power station) with fuel. 给（熔炉，引擎，锅炉，发电站）加燃料 Example sentencesExamples As a teenager, to help his parents, he'd work double shifts firing engines in rail yards. Because Watt's engine was fired by coal and not water, spinning factories could be located virtually anywhere. We were constructing wooden housing and using charcoal to fire blast furnaces. Synonyms power, charge, stoke up, supply with fuel 3.1no object (of an internal combustion engine, or a cylinder in one) undergo ignition of its fuel when started. （内燃机或其汽缸）点火 the engine fired and she pushed her foot down on the accelerator 发动机点火后，她踩下了油门。 Example sentencesExamples As the Spitfire flypast disappeared into the horizon, engines fired into life and the TGP aces flew out of the pit lane to form up the grid. Lind was able to get to the damned engines before they fired. Geordie who was talking to Cameron Shelton brought his conversation to a halt reluctantly, with several false stops like a car that kept on firing after the ignition had been switched on. Fortunately, the engine fired, the tires went round and round, and the pan didn't leak. The only practical way to do this is to add some sort of large rocket engine that fires right before impact. Tension ran high among the engineers when the Vinci engine fired, and the hydrogen and oxygen valves opened in sequence for the first time. Tension in Mission Control were high, as the engine had to fire while the craft was on the far side of the Moon, and out of radio contact. Its ion-propulsion engine will fire continuously for the next four days to help it stabilise. The engine only fired for a few seconds before shutting off again, and the missile fell. As they passed outside the larger ship's dock, there was a much larger engine firing. Getting behind the car, he pushed with gusto until the engine fired. Once the trailing satellite has nearly caught up, it fires its engines away from the leading satellite to achieve the same orbit again. Mars Express orbiter's main engine is firing for Mars Orbit Insertion. Over the next few months, the ion engine fires to raise the highest point of its orbit to match the orbit of the Moon. I could see now the Cyclops taking off, it's engines and jets fired into life and slowly lifted off the ground. Synonyms ignite, start, catch, get started, get going 3.2usually fire something up Start (an engine or other device) with a flick of his wrist he fired up the chainsaw she fired up her laptop and checked her email Example sentencesExamples After a year's delay, loggers fired up the chainsaws on 4 April. I rolled out of bed, fired up the computer, and a couple hours later I had the first chapter. It rained hard enough to chase us off the lake and back to the cabin to fire up the wood stove. When the driver releases the brake pedal, the "extra" battery fires up the engine. I stumbled to my home office and fired up my laptop to see what the problem was. Now is the perfect time to fire up the grill or prepare cool dishes such as salads, sandwiches and chilled soups like gazpacho. You want to shop for something, you don't go to a store, you just fire up a laptop or a smartphone and order it. The wife hopped into the passenger seat with a smile; I fired the engine, dropped the top and we headed off with the sunset. A few times every spring and summer, Dad would fire up the old station wagon and drive us all to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. I fired up my DVD player, reclined in my easy chair, and let the film unfurl before me. Synonyms activate, set in motion, switch on, turn on, fire up 3.3archaic Set fire to. 〈古〉点燃 I fired the straw 我点燃了稻草。 4Stimulate or excite (the imagination or an emotion) 激起，唤起（想像，情感） India fired my imagination 印度让我浮想联翩。 Example sentencesExamples They don't fire the imagination or arouse the passions like the aristocratic love of honor. Allende's vow to carry out a peaceful Socialist revolution fired the imagination of millions. Granada is also resonant with romance, having fired the imagination of Romantic poets and painters two centuries ago. It's no wonder the Romans can fire our imaginations, but what values did they hold, to help them to such success? In the Dominican Republic, it fired the imagination of a vibrant people. Writing and producing in a cross-cultural environment has fired his imagination and he has exploited the situation to the hilt. It is a vision that engages and fires his imagination. Anything is relevant to the pupil that fires the imagination or extends the mind. However, his imagination was fired by classic Westerns he had seen as a child. He had been busy accumulating knowledge, and stories told to him by his grandfather and other old-timers had fired his imagination. Meera's blind love for Krishna has fired the imagination of many poets. Synonyms stimulate, stir up, excite, enliven, awaken, arouse, rouse, call forth, draw forth, bring out, engender, evoke, inflame, breathe life into, put life into, animate 4.1 Fill (someone) with enthusiasm. 使充满热情；激励 in the locker room they were really fired up Example sentencesExamples He was fired with a purpose - to highlight the plight of the poor, suffering masses of India. Certainly, running boards and helping nurture companies still fires him, as does his delight in seeing young people progress. It is a subject that clearly fires him and he delves enthusiastically into the process of applying for landing slots and the use of cooking oil as a fuel. He was ambitious of a wider effect: he was fired with the possibility that he might work out the proof of an anatomical conception and make a link in the chain of discovery. Synonyms activate, motivate, stimulate, actuate, move, drive, rouse, stir, stir up, arouse, energize, animate, fire 4.2fire uparchaic no object Show sudden anger. 〈古〉突然发怒 If I were to hear anyone disparage you, I would fire up in a flash 如果我听见谁言语间瞧不起你，我会立刻火冒三丈。 Synonyms stir up, arouse, rouse, excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, move, fire the enthusiasm of, fire the imagination of, get going, whip up, inflame, agitate, goad, provoke, spur on, urge, encourage, animate, incite, egg on 5Bake or dry (pottery, bricks, etc.) in a kiln. 烧制（陶器、砖等） Example sentencesExamples The technique of making majolica begins with firing a piece of earthenware. He can do chores for you, such as firing your pottery. The large size of the animals required both internal and external supports to prevent them from collapsing in the kiln during firing. The factory uses combined electricity and coal-fired kilns for firing the bricks. After making the pottery shelters, the children watched as their efforts were fired in a kiln. People using acrylic paints can take away the finished article, but those who prefer water-based paints must wait a few days while they are glazed and fired in a kiln. Pottery in Texas was fired in a groundhog kiln, so named because part of the kiln is buried in the earth. The temperature needed for firing pottery is between 700-1,000 centigrade. Molding something out of clay, decorating it and glazing it, then firing it in the kiln is a fantastic experience for young artists. All methods require that the mould be fired in the kiln; the mould can then be used again for numerous replicas. The fire that was built over the pots excluded most of the oxygen which fired the pottery black or charcoal-grey. Its lava streams and agricultural fields are made from tiles fired at the museum and from bricks fired by local brickyards. Clay can also be decorated with paint once it is dry or has been fired in a kiln. These are then fired in kilns and collected or posted out the following day. Now here's a chance to try your hand at making, glazing and firing your own Raku pieces. When fired in a kiln at 1,250 degrees, the oxides and glass pieces melt to form a beautiful layer. The inked tissue was then laid on the once-fired pottery item, and the pottery was glazed and fired again. The houses and kivas of this period were heated with coal, which was also used for firing pottery. The first porcelain was fired at this manufactory in July 1766. Brick can also be fired to contain numerous color variations within a range of tones appearing in a single brick. Phrases breathe fire Be extremely angry. 盛怒，暴怒 the defeat has left him breathing fire Example sentencesExamples He has worked with him as a player and a pundit and doesn't see much difference from the gum-chewing manager who used to breathe fire from the dugout. You can bet your last dollar if this happened in my school district I would be raising hell so fast and so loud I would be breathing fire. Well, to go around with a father who breathes fire every time you go out to someone's house… As a strong police posse stood around watching, district fan club members gathered, forming an angry group and breathing fire at the critical references to their hero. Its new leader, its military wing, are breathing fire essentially. The other goon has been taken care of by this time by Alexias so Eavan and Lambeth bear down on the sheriff, Lambeth breathes fire at her and she backs off swearing. The new health minister entered the ring with the group breathing fire, promising a knock-down, drag-out struggle to the death, vowing there would be no retreat. I wasn't breathing fire in every scene, but I wanted to get across that he was a psychotic. Scott McLean scored the resulting penalty, but John Lambie was left to breathe fire at his side as Ian Ferguson snatched an unlikely equaliser on 65 minutes. He joined the race late and went on rightwing talk radio, breathing fire with a slight southern drawl against abortion, divorce catch fire 1Begin to burn. 开始燃烧，着火 Example sentencesExamples It was rare that a race report didn't include at least one car catching fire or sailing off course on the top end. The defendant employed a chauffeur, and on one occasion when he was attempting to start the car it caught fire. In a finely divided form, the metal may catch fire spontaneously and burn vigorously. The moth eventually catches fire, burns and dies; consumed by the very mystery it sought. The electricity sparked and sections of the subway began to catch fire. But nowadays, we very much hope that we don't get cars catching fire. After the rectory caught fire and burned down in July 1702, he changed his mind. ‘Cars catching fire is a very frequent occurrence in Shanghai,’ Jiang said. He spoke to the driver who made no response, and because of his concern that the car could catch fire he disconnected its battery. He said the assault happened when the contents of an aerosol sprayed at the boy's head caught fire, burning his eyebrows and hair. Synonyms ignite, catch light, burst into flames, go up in flames, begin to burn 1.1Become interesting or exciting. 〈喻〉吸引人，引起人们的兴趣；激动人心 the show never caught fire 演出从来都没有引起过人们的兴趣。 Example sentencesExamples They're just now getting interested in the campaign, but he hasn't caught fire. Brian Maloney has an interesting post up about Air America's failure to catch fire with listeners. Suddenly history smouldered, warmed up, caught fire and burned into my consciousness. But unless consumers notice a dramatic change for the better, Firefox could really begin to catch fire - and outfox Internet Explorer. I think they've really caught fire and really have done something very, very important. As the game began to catch fire in the States, business proved brisk. The offensive began in Paris just as the market began to catch fire. September 17 was the day the inquiry caught fire. fire and brimstone The torments of hell. 地狱里的磨难 his father was preaching fire and brimstone sermons 他父亲在作有关地狱磨难的布道。 Example sentencesExamples Those, who in their mind did not deserve to uphold the ‘bedrock of society’, would be chastised with fire and brimstone. With the fire and brimstone of the Old Testament, the parishioner condemns his perversion. Irrespective of all the fire and brimstone, he should do the right thing and immediately withdraw his inconsiderate remarks with a full apology. Viki looked at the two sympathetically, these two have been through hell fire and brimstone to be with each other. They had hymns, a sermon with fire and brimstone, and all the usual traditional elements. Rather than turn people onto religion with threats of fire and brimstone, the association of decidedly modern churches' messages open a gentler gateway into the fold. After a couple of hours of telling off and hell fire and brimstone the priest was leaving. It was on the subject he had been assigned by his apparently normal suburban Catholic school: Hell, and all its fire and brimstone. In contrast to the old-style fire and brimstone, today's efforts to curb personal freedoms and erode civil liberties are justified in the terms of health and safety. A distinct thread of superstition - of curses, of fire and brimstone, and of the inherent existence of evil in human nature - runs throughout. Synonyms the netherworld, the abode of the dead, the land of the dead, the infernal regions, the inferno, the nether regions, the abyss fire away informal Used to give someone permission to begin speaking, typically to ask questions. 〈非正式〉用以表示许可请讲，请讲话；请提问 “I want to clear up some questions that have been puzzling me.” “Fire away.” “我想澄清一些一直让我困惑的问题。”“请讲。” Example sentencesExamples ‘Okay, fire away,’ I replied with a small smirk dancing on my lips. I patiently waited until he finished, and then told him to fire away. And she's going to read from that and then we'll fire away some questions. I'll have a couple of questions and then we'll have both Christiane and Nic fire away as well. Whatever you've always wanted to know, fire away! He showed up and gave a speech that went: ‘I don't have a speech, but if you have questions, fire away.’ If any of you reading this article has a question, then fire away! If you have a burning question that's of interest to all, fire away. As always, this is meant to open up some discussion and feedback, so feel free to fire away. Should you think otherwise, well, I'm a big boy; fire away. fire in the (or one's) belly A powerful sense of ambition or determination. 雄心壮志；坚定的决心 Example sentencesExamples Matt from Winnipeg told me, ‘They've put the fire in my belly to fight this for the rest of my life.’ He is like a prizefighter determined to show that there is still some fire in his belly. Kilkeel played with fire in their belly and deserved their point. If you have a real fire in your belly about an idea, then you need to carry it through’. The 2003 Jobs with Justice Annual Meeting has left me with a fire in my belly. That's I think enough for me; I don't know that I have the fire in my belly to try to launch another one and go through the whole thing that happens when you do that. It's an attitude, a presence, a fire in your belly. It's enough if you have the attitude and the fire in your belly. I felt the union needed someone with fire in their belly but even then there were guys warning me that in backing him I would rue the day. It gives me more determination and a bit of fire in my belly to prove people wrong. fire on all cylinders Work or function at a peak level of performance. 开足马力；鼓足干劲 neither conductor nor orchestra are really firing on all cylinders Example sentencesExamples They say, except for jobs creation, the economy was firing on all cylinders from July through September. England have oozed that sort of confidence throughout this current campaign, and have carried on winning even when not firing on all cylinders. On a technical level, Scorsese is firing on all cylinders, but emotionally the film is a bit distant. Liverpool were still not firing on all cylinders, but were looking good enough to get the win and, at this stage of the season, that's all that matters. I feel as if I'm still three or four weeks away (from match fitness), I just feel as if I'm not firing on all cylinders. Last night was a great example of a band firing on all cylinders and while we don't think the new record quite survived the transition to a big label intact, live at least, every song is a killer. But I hope to back firing on all cylinders from the middle of January, 2004. The forward line needs to be firing on all cylinders, and the team's penalty corner drill needs to be imaginative and forceful. The Clan came out firing on all cylinders in the first game. Records are there to be broken and Celtic are firing on all cylinders just now. go through fire (and water) Face any peril. 赴汤蹈火 Example sentencesExamples He has been through a lot, and when a man is tested, you don't know what he's made of until he really goes through fire. The tragedy of this woman lies in the rejection of her awesome sacrifice by the very person for whom she went through fire: her son Bharata. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. She would go through fire and ice for Natai, whether she knew it or not. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water. The psalmist exemplifies this attitude and praises God, ‘Israel's deliverer,’ who has ‘given life to our souls,’ for although ‘we went through fire and water… you have led us out to refreshment.’ He became a father-figure to young athletes, who would go through fire for him. light a fire under someone Stimulate someone to work or act more quickly or enthusiastically. 〈北美〉激励某人更快（或更加热情）地工作（或办事） Example sentencesExamples Meanwhile, the musical subculture Tee helped build is lighting a fire under more traditional DJs looking to add some new sounds to their sets. Suddenly he remembered something that lit a fire under him. This is the type of bold move that will light a fire under the Yankees. I'm ready to do everything I can to make a difference and light a fire under people. Massenet's strong yet impulsively teenager-ish heroine seems to have lit a fire under her, because here she is at her best. I think that lights a fire under the Senators to do their work quickly. Eventually, I think, something will happen, some spark will be set off that lights a fire under this market. Maybe if I fire a couple of laggards that'll light a fire under them! I hope this challenge to his position lights a fire under his coat tails because he has the capacity to be an excellent trial attorney. They can move mountains with their enthusiasm and energy and light a fire under almost anything. Synonyms encourage, act as a fillip to, act as a impetus to, act as a incentive to, act as a spur to, act as a stimulus to, prompt, prod, move, motivate, trigger, spark, spur on, galvanize, activate, kindle, fire, fire with enthusiasm, fuel, whet, nourish on fire 1In flames; burning. 起火，着火；在燃烧 Example sentencesExamples He claimed her neighbour's house was on fire and said she had to grab her valuables and leave. A log in that unsightly pile writhed as if it were already on fire, though the flames had not quite reached it. When they looked outside they realised one of the houses was on fire and screams were heard. The intrepid dad ran outside to find his van was on fire and flames were spreading to the front of his home. A next door neighbour, who called the fire brigade, said at first she thought it was her house which was on fire. She had realised her house was on fire when she touched a door handle and discovered it was hot. With another soldier, he helped remove a sideboard from a house that was on fire at the request of the woman who lived there. If your house was on fire, what one item would you grab as you dashed to safety? He recounts the time a journalist asked him what three things he would save were his house on fire. A terraced house was on fire, with smoke and flames pouring from the ground and first floor windows. Synonyms burning, ablaze, blazing, aflame, in flames, flaming, raging, fiery 1.1In a state of excitement. 处于激动（或兴奋）状态 Wright is now on fire with confidence 赖特现在信心十足。 Example sentencesExamples Paddy Murray was on fire and rattled over five exquisite points in a blistering opening half. After a poor performance in Cork the previous weekend the home side were always going to come out on fire. Trevor Smullen, in the other corner, was also on fire, landing five points from play. Pat Harte was on fire for the entire sixty minutes and scored some crucial points during the game. York were on fire and skipper for the day Sean Bass picked up an awkward pass off his toes. The crowd was literally on fire, as couples jived as if there was no tomorrow. They are on fire, a team full of confidence and ability and belief in each other. The troupe was literally on fire, as they turned, swayed and bent showing amazing skills. He was on fire in the opening 20 minutes but he was also guilty of a lack of finishing touch. Synonyms ardent, passionate, fervent, intense, excited, aflutter set fire to 〈古〉点燃 Cause to burn; ignite. 点燃，放火烧，使燃烧 Example sentencesExamples Giggling nervously, one girl lit a match and set a twig on fire. We have had fires galore and one family was burnt out when someone set a wheelie bin on fire in their porch. He said his own radio had been burned when their vehicle had been set on fire. Since then her home has been set on fire and her car torched once, stolen twice and broken into three times. It set the entire area on fire, burning down trees, grass, animals, and anything else that got in its way. Under the watchful eye of the local fire department, we set the test facility on fire. Hundreds of young men attacked the newspaper's office on Wednesday, set it on fire and burned copies of the paper. Toilet blocks were set on fire and lighting masts pulled down during a two-hour rampage that caused damage estimated at £250,000. Miraculously he never burned himself or set the house on fire. She then lit a match, setting the goo on fire, and brushed up the ashes. Synonyms light, ignite, kindle, set fire to, set on fire, set alight, set ablaze, put a match to, touch off, spark off, incinerate set the world on fire (also set the world alight) Do something remarkable or sensational. 做出引起轰动（或惊世骇俗）的事 the film hasn't exactly set the world on fire 这部影片并没有真正引起轰动。 Synonyms succeed, achieve success, be successful, be a success, do well, get ahead, reach the top, become famous, achieve recognition, distinguish oneself, set the world on fire take fire Start to burn. 开始燃烧，着火 under fire 1Being shot at. 遭到炮火的袭击 observers sent to look for the men came under heavy fire 派去寻找那些人的观察员遭到了一场密集的炮火袭击。 Example sentencesExamples My unit is the first unit to build under fire since World War II over the Rhine River. Armies would thus come under fire long before they could even see their enemy, let alone attack his positions. They were under fire from the enemy, but their service and skills were needed desperately. Many tales of Harrison's heroism and bravery under fire were retold by veterans. Instructions were, should the ship come under fire, to tend wounded regardless of their own safety. It was one of the first beach landings of the war, and the Americans came under fire. At Pourville, too, the South Saskatchewan Regiment beached without coming under fire. Sgt Cox showed personal courage and skill while under fire from hostile militia. He was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in treating casualties under fire in the desert. The following year Banting received the Military Cross for bravery under fire. 1.1Being rigorously criticized. 遭到严厉批评 the president was under fire from all sides 校长遭到了各方的严厉批评。 Example sentencesExamples The council is currently investigating the way it is run after coming under fire for its handling of a number of key issues in the town over the last year. A public schools district plan to teach a bible course is coming under fire from critics. The government also came under fire for not putting enough resources into education and social services. Plans for a £5 surcharge on speeding tickets to fund victim support services came under fire last night. The four-sided, four metre-high sculpture came under fire from critics who branded it a waste of money. Actors, directors and critics all come under fire as we are invited to laugh at the melodramatic play within a play. The penny seems to have dropped at head office, which has been under fire from critics for its woeful neglect of its European operations. Charter airlines based at Manchester Airport have come under fire in a critical consumer survey. He is already under fire from critics in his own party for failing to return immediately to Washington once the hijackings got under way. The society's leadership is now under fire from numerous critics in academia and the science community. where's the fire? informal Used to ask someone why they are in such a hurry or state of excitement. 〈非正式〉干吗这么急（或兴奋）？ Origin Old English fȳr (noun), fȳrian ‘supply with material for a fire’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer. noun.1 phr.
随便看	oversample oversampled oversampling oversaturate oversaturated oversaturation oversaw oversaw oversay oversaying over sb's head overscaled overscan overscore overscored overscores overscoring over-scruple overscrupulosity overscrupulous overscrupulousness overscrupulousness oversea overseam overseas