ignite

[ig-nahyt] /ɪgˈnaɪt/
verb (used with object), ignited, igniting.
1.
to set on fire; kindle.
2.
Chemistry. to heat intensely; roast.
verb (used without object), ignited, igniting.
3.
to take fire; begin to burn.
Origin
1660-70; < Latin ignītus (past participle of ignīre to set on fire, ignite), equivalent to ign(is) fire + -ītus -ite2
Related forms
ignitable, ignitible, adjective
ignitability, ignitibility, noun
nonignitability, noun
nonignitable, adjective
nonignitibility, noun
nonignitible, adjective
reignite, verb (used with object), reignited, reigniting.
unignitable, adjective
unignited, adjective
unigniting, adjective
Synonyms
1. See kindle1 .
Examples from the web for ignite
  • Remove any one of the basic components, though, and the fire will either fail to ignite or will fizzle out by itself.
  • Lightning or a brush fire can also ignite soft coal.
  • The fire that he's been trying to ignite seems to be spreading.
  • Officials said a fire that had threatened to ignite the cars carrying the chemicals was still smoldering.
  • To ignite growth, a country must fire the animal spirits of its industrialists.
  • At the fire exhibit they can ignite a high flame and simultaneously activate overhead sprinklers.
  • Fire-Safe cigarettes can still ignite furniture or bedding.
  • Hot firebrands ultimately come to rest and may ignite fuels far removed from the fire, resulting in fire spread.
  • If the poker is hot enough, the alcohol will spontaneously ignite.
  • Scientific awards help spread those ideas and ignite imaginations, he says.
British Dictionary definitions for ignite

ignite

/ɪɡˈnaɪt/
verb
1.
to catch fire or set fire to; burn or cause to burn
2.
(transitive) (chem) to heat strongly
3.
(transitive) to stimulate or provoke: the case has ignited a nationwide debate
Derived Forms
ignitable, ignitible, adjective
ignitability, ignitibility, noun
Word Origin
C17: from Latin ignīre to set alight, from ignis fire
Word Origin and History for ignite
v.

1660s, from Latin ignitus, past participle of ignire "set on fire," from ignis "fire" (see igneous). Attested earlier as an adjective (1550s). Related: Ignited; igniting.