fuse1

[fyooz] /fyuz/
noun
1.
a tube, cord, or the like, filled or saturated with combustible matter, for igniting an explosive.
2.
fuze (def 1).
verb (used with object), fused, fusing.
3.
fuze (def 3).
Idioms
4.
have a short fuse, Informal. to anger easily; have a quick temper.
Origin
1635-45; < Italian fuso < Latin fūsus spindle
Related forms
fuseless, adjective
fuselike, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for have a short fuse

fuse1

/fjuːz/
noun
1.
a lead of combustible black powder in a waterproof covering (safety fuse), or a lead containing an explosive (detonating fuse), used to fire an explosive charge
2.
any device by which an explosive charge is ignited
3.
blow a fuse, See blow1 (sense 12)
verb
4.
(transitive) to provide or equip with such a fuse
Derived Forms
fuseless, adjective
Word Origin
C17: from Italian fuso spindle, from Latin fūsus

fuse2

/fjuːz/
verb
1.
to unite or become united by melting, esp by the action of heat: to fuse borax and copper sulphate at a high temperature
2.
to become or cause to become liquid, esp by the action of heat; melt
3.
to join or become combined; integrate
4.
(transitive) to equip (an electric circuit, plug, etc) with a fuse
5.
(Brit) to fail or cause to fail as a result of the blowing of a fuse: the lights fused
noun
6.
a protective device for safeguarding electric circuits, etc, containing a wire that melts and breaks the circuit when the current exceeds a certain value
Word Origin
C17: from Latin fūsus melted, cast, poured out, from fundere to pour out, shed; sense 5 influenced by fuse1
Word Origin and History for have a short fuse

fuse

v.

1680s, "to melt" (transitive), back-formation from fusion. Intransitive sense, "to become liquid," attested from 1800. Figurative sense of "blend different things" is first recorded 1817. Related: Fused; fusing.

n.

"combustible cord or tube for lighting an explosive device," also fuze, 1640s, from Italian fuso "spindle" (so called because the originals were long, thin tubes filled with gunpowder), from Latin fusus "spindle," of uncertain origin. Influenced by French fusée "spindleful of hemp fiber," and obsolete English fusee "musket fired by a fuse." Meaning "device that breaks an electrical circuit" first recorded 1884, so named for its shape, but erroneously attributed to fuse (v.) because it melts.

have a short fuse in Science
fuse
  (fyz)   

Noun  

  1. A safety device that protects an electric circuit from becoming overloaded. Fuses contain a length of thin wire (usually of a metal alloy) that melts and breaks the circuit if too much current flows through it. They were traditionally used to protect electronic equipment and prevent fires, but have largely been replaced by circuit breakers.

  2. A cord of readily combustible material that is lighted at one end to carry a flame along its length to detonate an explosive at the other end.


Verb  

  1. To melt something, such as metal or glass, by heating.

  2. To blend two or more substances by melting.


Slang definitions & phrases for have a short fuse

have a short fuse

verb phrase

To have a quick temper; be irascible; shoot from the hip (1960s+)


fuse

Related Terms

blow a gasket, have a short fuse


Idioms and Phrases with have a short fuse

fuse

see: blow a fuse