# fire

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfaɪ.ə/ · frequency rank #501

## Definitions
1. A (usually self-sustaining) chemical reaction involving the bonding of oxygen with carbon or other fuel, with the production of heat and the presence of flame or smouldering.
2. An instance of this chemical reaction, especially when intentionally created and maintained in a specific location to a useful end (such as a campfire or a hearth fire).
3. The occurrence, often accidental, of fire in a certain place, causing damage and danger.
4. The aforementioned chemical reaction of burning, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.
5. A heater or stove used in place of a real fire (such as an electric fire).
6. The elements necessary to start a fire.
7. The bullets or other projectiles fired from a gun or other ranged weapon.
8. A planned bombardment by artillery or similar weapons, or the capability to deliver such.
9. A firearm.
10. A barrage, volley
11. An instance of firing one or more rocket engines.
12. Strength of passion, whether love or hate.
13. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm.
14. Splendour; brilliancy; lustre; hence, a star.
15. A severe trial; anything inflaming or provoking.
16. Red coloration in a piece of opal.
17. The capacity of a gemstone, especially a faceted, cut gemstone, that is transparent to visible light, to disperse white light into its multispectral component parts, resulting in a flash of different colors, the richness and dispersion of which increases the gemstone's value.

## Etymology
From Middle English fyr, from Old English fȳr (“fire”), from Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from *fuïr, a regularised form of Proto-Germanic *fōr (“fire”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥.
Cognates
See also Scots feier, fyre (“fire”), Yola vier, vire (“fire”), Saterland Frisian Fjuur, Fjúur (“fire”), West Frisian fjoer (“fire”), Alemannic German Füür (“fire”), Bavarian Feia (“fire”), Central Franconian Fauer, Feier, Füür (“fire”), Cimbrian bôar, vaür, vôar (“fire”), Dutch vier, vuur (“fire”), German Feuer (“fire”), German Low German Füer, Füür (“fire”), Luxembourgish Feier (“fire”), Mòcheno vaier (“fire”), Vilamovian faojer (“fire”), West Flemish vier (“fire”), Yiddish פֿײַער (fayer, “fire”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish fyr (“fire”), Icelandic funi (“fire”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌽 (fōn, “fire”). Also, compare Armenian հուր (hur, “fire”), Greek πυρ (pyr, “fire”), Latin pūrgō (“to clean, cleanse, clear, purge, purify”), Umbrian 𐌐𐌉𐌓 (pir, “fire”), Bulgarian фир (fir, “ooze, pickle, soak”), Polish perz (“smoke”), Hittite 𒉺𒄴𒄯 (paḫḫur, “fire”), Luwian 𒉺𒀀𒄷𒌋𒌨 (pāhūr, “fire”), Tocharian A/B por/puwar (“fire”). This was an inanimate noun whose animate counterpart was Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis (see ignite). Cognate to pyre.

## Easily confused with
- **for** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-for)
- **fit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fit)
- **fix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fix)
- **fur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fur)
- **fry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fry)
- **foe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-foe)
- **fro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fro)
- **fra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fra)
- **FIS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fis)
- **FTE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fte)
- **free** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-free)
- **five** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-five)
- **form** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-form)
- **fish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fish)
- **firm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-firm)
- **ford** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-ford)
- **fort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fort)
- **fits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fits)
- **Fred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fred)
- **fork** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fire-vs-fork)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ffire`, `fier`, `firre`, `frie`, `ifre`

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