burning: Meaning and Definition of

burn•ing

Pronunciation: (bûr'ning), [key]
— adj.
  1. aflame; on fire.
  2. very hot; simmering: The water was burning.
  3. very bright; glowing: She wore a burning red bathing suit.
  4. caused by or as if by fire, a burn, or heat: He had a burning sensation in his throat.
  5. intense; passionate: a burning desire.
  6. urgent or crucial: a burning question.
—n.
  1. the state, process, sensation, or effect of being on fire, burned, or subjected to intense heat.
  2. the baking of ceramic products to develop hardness and other properties.
  3. the heating or the calcining of certain ores and rocks as a preliminary stage in various industrial processes.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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