fire
noun uk/faɪər/ us/faɪr/
(FLAMES)
A2 [ C or U ]火;（燃烧着的）燃料，柴火
(material that is in) the state of burning that produces flames that send out heat and light, and might produce smoke
Animals are usually afraid of fire. 动物通常都怕火。
The fire was started by children playing with matches. 这场火灾是由小孩们玩火柴引起的。
40 people helped to put out (= stop) the fire. 40个人帮忙扑灭了大火。
The library was badly damaged in the fire. 图书馆在火灾中严重受损。
How many historic buildings are damaged by fire each year? 每年有多少座历史建筑毁于大火？
She had to be rescued when her house caught (US caught on) fire (= started to burn). 房子着火时，她被救了出来。
B1 [ C ]火堆;炉火
a small controlled fire that is used for heating or cooking
It's very cold in here - should I light a fire? 这里面真冷，我把炉火点起来好吗？
We built a fire on the beach. 我们在海滩上生了堆火。
We put up our tents and made a small fire. 我们搭起了帐篷，点起了一小堆火。
on fireB1 起火，着火
If something is on fire, it is burning when it should not be.
If your home was on fire and you could save only one thing, what would it be? 如果你家着了火，而你只能抢救出一样东西，你会拿什么呢？
The field behind the house was on fire.
Bombs were falling and the city was on fire.
There were reports of cars on fire in many of the streets.
He ran to tell us that the barn was on fire.
Synonyms: ablazeaflame alight (BURNING)
[ C ] UK取暖器
a gas or electric heater that is used to warm up a room
a gas/electric fire 煤气取暖器／电暖器
If you're cold just put the fire on. 你冷的话就把取暖器打开。
- More examples
- Both buildings were badly affected by the fire.
- My cat likes dozing in front of the fire.
- The fire was thought to have been caused by a gas explosion.
- The dry weather has increased the risk of brush fires.
- The flames grew larger as the fire spread.
(SHOOT)
C2 [ U ]射击;炮火，火力
the shooting of guns or other weapons
The police opened fire on (= started shooting at) the protesters. 警察向抗议者开了火。
The command was given to cease fire (= stop shooting). 下达了停止射击的命令。
The city came under fire from anti-government forces last night. 这座城市昨晚遭到了反政府武装炮火的攻击。
(EMOTION)
[ U ]极度兴奋；极为激动；狂热
strong emotion
The fire in her speech inspired everyone. 她演讲中饱含的激情鼓舞了每一个人。
See also: fiery (RED)
Idioms
come under fireidiom C2 遭受批评
to be criticized
The government has come under fire for its decision to close the mines. 政府因其关闭矿井的决定而遭到了抨击。
fire and brimstoneidiom 永恒的煎熬（指死后下地狱永不得超生）
used to mean the threat of Hell or damnation (= punishment that lasts for ever) after death
The preacher's sermon was full of fire and brimstone. 那位牧师的布道词里满是死后下地狱受永恒煎熬的言辞。
fire in your bellyidiom 志向，热情；雄心壮志；动力
a strong determination to succeed
Neither of the candidates has a fire in his belly, so it's hard to get excited about them. 这两名候选人都没有雄心壮志，很难看好他们。
go through fire and wateridiom UK old-fashioned 赴汤蹈火
to experience many difficulties or dangers in order to achieve something
hang/hold fireidiom UK 延缓作出决定
to delay making a decision
Ideally we would settle the matter now, but I think we should hang fire until the general situation becomes clearer. 理想的状况是我们现在就把这个问题给解决了，但我认为我们还是等总体局势更为明朗之后再作决定为好。
play with fireidiom C2 玩火，冒险
to act in a way that is very dangerous and to take risks
put out firesidiom US (UK firefight)速战速决；火急火燎
to spend time on problems that need to be dealt with quickly, instead of working in a calm, planned way
She spends much of her time putting out fires and navigating red tape. 她大部分时间都花在火急火燎地应对问题以及鼓捣繁文缛节上了。
set something/someone on fireidiom 纵火焚烧;使…燃烧
to cause something or someone to start burning
A peace activist had set herself on fire in protest over the government's involvement in the war. 一反战女子点火自焚，以抗议政府参战。
set fire to something/someoneidiom C2 纵火焚烧;使…燃烧
to cause something or someone to start burning
The protesters set fire to several vehicles. 抗议者纵火焚烧了几辆车。
fire
verb uk/faɪər/ us/faɪr/
(SHOOT)
B2 [ I or T ]开火，开（枪）;放（箭）;发射（导弹）
to cause a weapon to shoot bullets, arrows, or missiles
He fired his gun into the air. 他朝天鸣枪。
Someone started firing at us. 有人开始向我们射击。
Without warning he started firing into the crowd. 在没有任何警示的情况下他开始朝人群开枪。
I just prayed that he would stop firing. 我只有在心里企盼着他会停止射击。
The ambassador denied that any missiles had been fired across the border. 大使否认向境外发射了任何导弹。
[ T or I ]连珠炮似地提出（问题）;猛烈地发出（抨击）
to direct a series of questions or criticisms at someone
The journalists were firing questions at me for two whole hours. 整整两个小时，记者们连珠炮似地向我发问。
"I'd like to ask you some questions about your childhood." "Fire away!" (= You can start asking them now.) “我想问你几个关于你童年的问题。” “你问吧！”
- More examples
- The soldiers were ordered to fire only as a last resort.
- The initial cloud of tear gas had hardly cleared before shots were fired.
- He fired six shots at the target, but his aim was terrible, and he missed all of them.
- The rebels were firing anti-tank rockets.
- The soldiers have been ordered to desist from firing their guns.
(REMOVE FROM A JOB)
B2 [ T ]解雇，开除
to remove someone from their job, either because they have done something wrong or badly, or as a way of saving the cost of employing them
She was fired after she was caught stealing from her employer. 她因偷雇主的东西时当场被抓而遭解雇。
He was fired from his $165,000 job for poor performance. 他因为表现不佳丢掉了他薪资16.5万美元的工作。
She has just been fired as editor of the newspaper. 她刚刚被炒，丢掉了这家报纸主编的职位。
The company is reducing its workforce by firing 500 employees. 该公司将裁员500人以减少雇员人数。
Synonyms: dismiss (END JOB)sack (JOB)
- More examples
- He started feeling paranoid and was convinced his boss was going to fire him.
- They have the power to hire and fire managers.
- They fired him when they found out he had a criminal record.
- He's lucky that he wasn't fired.
- After years of loyal service, his boss gave him the shaft by firing him just before he would have qualified for a pension.
(EXCITE)
C2 [ T ]使充满激情，激发
to cause a strong emotion in someone
I had a brilliant English teacher who fired me with enthusiasm for literature at an early age. 我有过一位出色的英语老师，在我很小的时候就激起了我对文学的热情。
Talk of treasure and lost cities had fired their imaginations. 这些关于宝藏和失落的城市的传闻让他们浮想联翩。
(HEAT)
[ T ]（在窑内）烧制（陶器等）
to heat objects made of clay in a kiln (= a special oven) so that they become hard
Idioms
be firing on all cylindersidiom 开足马力
to be operating as powerfully and effectively as possible
Dawson will be firing on all cylinders after two months of fitness training. 在两个月的健身训练之后，道森要开足马力干活了。
in the firing lineidiom (also in the line of fire); (US also on the firing line) 易遭到批评（或攻击、抛弃）
likely to be criticized, attacked, or got rid of
He found himself in the firing line for his sexist remarks. 他发现自己因言辞带有性别歧视而备受抨击。
Phrasal verbs
fire something off 开枪射击
to fire a shot from a gun
They fired off several shots to frighten us. 他们开了几枪，想要吓唬我们。
寄发（言辞激愤的信件）
to write and send an angry letter to someone
He fired off an angry letter to the editor. 他给主编写了一封言辞激愤的信。
fire someone up 使…激动；令…发怒
to make someone become excited or angry
We had an argument about it and she got all fired up. 我们就此事发生了争执，她大动肝火。
fire something up 开动（机器）;启动（计算机程序）
to start a machine or computer program
The old plane was firing up its engines. 这架老旧飞机的引擎开始启动。
This system uses voice activation to fire up its web browser. 这个系统使用嗓音激活方式开启网页浏览器。