# burner

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbɜːnə/ · frequency rank #14,080

## Definitions
1. Someone or something that burns.
2. An element on a kitchen stove that generates localized heat for cooking.
3. A device that generates localized heat for experiments; a Bunsen burner.
4. A device that burns fuel; e.g. a diesel engine; a hot-air balloon's propulsion system.
5. A device for burning refuse; an incinerator.
6. A device that records data or music to an optical disc, such as a CD-R or DVD-RW.
7. Ellipsis of burner phone, a mobile phone used for only a short time and then thrown away so that the owner cannot be traced.
8. An app that creates temporary phone numbers for a user.
9. Ellipsis of burner account.
10. An elaborate piece of graffiti.
11. A pyrotechnic tear gas canister.
12. A gun.
13. Ellipsis of coal burner (“a nonblack person, usually a woman, who has sexual relationships with black people, usually men”).
14. Alternative letter-case form of Burner (“participant in Burning Man”).

## Etymology
From burn + -er. Merged with and eclipsed related Middle English brennar, brennere (“an incendiary, incinerator”). Compare German Brenner (“burner”), Swedish brännare (“burner”).

## Easily confused with
- **burr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-burr)
- **burns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-burns)
- **burnt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-burnt)
- **buyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-buyer)
- **Byrne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-byrne)
- **butter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-butter)
- **butler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-butler)
- **buster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-buster)
- **buzzer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-buzzer)
- **busier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-busier)
- **Byrnes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-byrnes)
- **burnet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-burnet)
- **Burney** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-burney)
- **Burnley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-burnley)
- **Burnett** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burner-vs-burnett)
- **burn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burn-vs-burner)
- **burke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burke-vs-burner)
- **borne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/borne-vs-burner)
- **boner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boner-vs-burner)
- **Berne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/berne-vs-burner)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bburner`, `bruner`, `bunrer`, `burenr`, `burnerr`, `burnner`, `burnre`, `burrner`, `ubrner`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/burner