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# combust

verb (combust, combusts, combusted, combusting)

«combust» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (science) To burn, or to catch fire, especially through a chemical reaction with oxygen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#m1)
2. (informal, joking) To get very angry or excited, as if about to burst into flames. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons on burning, a fuel combusts when it reacts with oxygen and gives out heat and light; the fire triangle needs fuel, heat and oxygen. In safety, oily rags and hay can combust on their own if they get hot. In jokes, «I'll combust» means «I'm too excited or angry». Noun: combustion.

### Examples

- Petrol combusts inside a car engine. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#x1)
- Wood combusts when it gets hot enough and has oxygen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#x2)
- Piles of damp hay can combust on their own. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#x3)
- Never leave oily rags in a heap; they can combust. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#x4)
- If I have to wait any longer, I'll combust! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#x5)
- The match combusted with a bright flash. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/#x6)

### Note

Regular verb: combusted, combusting. Noun: combustion; adjective: combustible (able to burn). «Spontaneous combustion» means catching fire without a flame — it happens with hay and oily rags, but stories of people bursting into flames are a myth.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «combust» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/combust/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«combust» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/combust.html) on Mova free.