Fire

[A.S. fyr; O. Sax. and O. Ger. fiur; Fris. fior; Ger. feuer; Dan. vuur; akin to Gr. pyr, Goth. fun a = Sansk. pavan a, pure, pâvaka, fire - pû, to purify.] The great agent of purification; that one of the so-called four elements which burns, inflames, warms, or heats; the igneous principle; heat and light emanating visibly, perceptibly, and simultaneously from any body; caloric: the effect of combustion. "Then air succeeds, in lightne next to fire." -Dryden. -The burning of fuel upon a hearth: a conflagration: a burning; a flame; as, make a good fire , the place took fire , . - Light; lustre; splendor; as, "Stars, hide your fires ! " ( Shaks .) - Torture by burning; the punishment of the impenitent in another state; trouble; severe ordeal; affliction. "Like a pale martyr in his shirt of Are ." - Alez. Smith. -Ardor of temper; violence of pa ion; ardent affection; the pa ion of love; ardor; heat of the feelings. "The Are of love in youthful blood, but for a moment burns." Shad well. -Liveline of imagination; vigor of fancy; intellectual brightne and activity; animation; force of sentiment or expre ion; intellectual and moral enthusiasm; as, the poet's fire. "Exact Racine, and Corneille's noble Are, Taught us that France had something to admire." - Pope . ( Hist .) The terrific energy of fire, the most important agent of civilization, the similarity of its effects with that of the sun, its intimate connection with light, its terrible and yet genial power, and the beauty of its changeful flame, easily account for the reverence in which it was held in ancient times. At a period when cause and effect, form and e ence, were not distinctly separated, fire became an object of religious veneration, a distinguished element in mythology, an expre ive symbol in poetry, and an important agent in the systems of cosmogony. It gained a place among the ele ments, and for a long time was believed to be a constituent part in the composition of all bodies, and to require only the concurrence of favorable circumstances to develop its activity. At a later period, fire, under the name of phlogiston , was considered to be the source of all chemical action. At the present day, the phenomena which were formerly ascribed to fire are attributed to the effects of heat. See COMBUSTION and HEAT. ( Mil .) A discharge of musketry or small arms; as, the column advanced under a heavy fire . - Direct fire. (Mil.) See DIRECT. Greek fire. See GREEK FIRE. Horizontal fire . ( Mil .) See HORIZONTAL. - On fire. Burning; in a state of combustion; as, a house on fire. Plunging fire . ( Mil .) See PLUNGING. - Running fire . ( Mil .) The rapid, rattling discharge of musketry kept up in succe ion by troops. To set on fire, or a - fire , to cause to burn; to inflame; as, "Desire may set her heart a - fire ." - Carew. -. a. To set on fire; to kindle; to cause to burn, or enter into a state of combustion; as, to fire a chimney, to fire a city, . "The aspiring youth that Ared th' Ephesian dome Outlives in fame the pious fool that raised it."-Colley Cibber. -To inflame; to excite; to irritate, as the pa ions; as, fired with anger. To infuse animation into; to give life and spirit to; as, to fire the enthusiasm of men. To cause to explode; to discharge; to ignite the charge of a gun or fire-arm; as, fire blank cartridge. IMG:content-0156.png:[graphic] To take fire; to be kindled. - To be excited, irritated, or inflamed with pa ion. - To discharge artillery or fire-arms; as, the firing could be heard at a great distance. "The fainting Dutch remotely fire ." - To fire up, to allow one's temper to burst forth; to grow angry; to get into a pa ion. "He fired up , and stood vigorously on his defence."-Macaulay. Fire'-alarm, n. A signal of alarm given on the breaking out of a conflagration.- An apparatus for giving alarm of fire. Fire-annihilator, n . A machine for extinguishing fires, invented by Mr. Phillips, and bearing his name. It consists of a case containing water, within which is a smaller case filled with a mixture of chlorate of potash and sugar. Dipping into the latter is a small tube containing sulphuric acid. When this tube is broken, the chlorate of potash and sugar become ignited, throwing off large quantities of mixed gases, which are non supporters of combustion. The action is maintained by the water in the outer case becoming heated. This contrivance was never of much practical use. Later and much more succe ful devices will be considered under FIRE EXTINGUISHER (q. v.). Fire'-arm, n. An arm or weapon which expels its charge by the explosive charge of gunpowder; usually in the plural). See ARM, ARTILLERY, CANNON, GUN, . Fire-arrow, n. A small arrow or dart of iron, The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia furnished with a combustible charge for firing the sails, rigging, . of ships.