Combustion Meaning and Definition
Combustion
Pronunciation
/kəmˈbʌstʃən/
Part of Speech
Noun
Definition
A chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidizer that produces heat, light, and usually sound, often accompanied by the emission of gases.
Examples
- The firework exploded in a burst of combustion, lighting up the night sky.
- The engine’s combustion process was the source of its impressive power.
Synonyms
- Fire
- Inflammation
Antonyms
- Quenching
- Extinction
Etymology
The word “combustion” comes from the Latin “combustio”, meaning “burning”, which is derived from “combustus”, the past participle of “combust”, meaning “to burn”.
Usage Notes
Combustion is often used in scientific and technical contexts, such as physics, chemistry, and engineering. It is also used in everyday language to describe the burning of fuel, such as gasoline or wood.
Cultural References
Combustion has been featured in various forms of media, including films, such as “The Fireworks-Making Contest” and “The Combustion”, and literature, such as “The Combustion Equation” and “The Burning”.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
- To go up in flames means to be suddenly and dramatically successful, as if fueled by a combustive force.
- To be on fire means to have strong emotions or strong feelings, as if being fueled by combustion.
Related Words or Phrases
- Ignition
- Emission
Collocations
- fuel combustion
- internal combustion engine
Frequency of Use
Combustion is a commonly used term in scientific and technical contexts, with an estimated frequency of use of 1.4 per million words in English language data.
Common Misspellings
- Combust
- Combustionn