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hang fire

hang fire
H h

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [hang fahyuh r]
    • /hæŋ faɪər/
    • /hæŋ ˈfaɪə(r)/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [hang fahyuh r]
    • /hæŋ faɪər/

Definitions of hang fire words

  • noun hang fire a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame. 1
  • noun hang fire a burning mass of material, as on a hearth or in a furnace. 1
  • noun hang fire the destructive burning of a building, town, forest, etc.; conflagration. 1
  • noun hang fire heat used for cooking, especially the lighted burner of a stove: Put the kettle on the fire. 1
  • noun hang fire Greek fire. 1
  • noun hang fire flashing light; luminous appearance. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of hang fire

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English fȳr; cognate with Old Norse fūrr, German Feuer, Greek pŷr (see pyro-); (v.) Middle English firen to kindle, inflame, derivative of the noun

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Hang fire

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

hang fire popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

hang fire usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for hang fire

verb hang fire

  • suspend — to hang by attachment to something above: to suspend a chandelier from the ceiling.
  • prolong — to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer: to prolong one's stay abroad.
  • waive — to refrain from claiming or insisting on; give up; forgo: to waive one's right; to waive one's rank; to waive honors.
  • delay — If you delay doing something, you do not do it immediately or at the planned or expected time, but you leave it until later.
  • hold up — to have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp: She held the purse in her right hand. He held the child's hand in his.

Antonyms for hang fire

verb hang fire

  • shorten — to make short or shorter.
  • further — at or to a great distance; a long way off; at or to a remote point: We sailed far ahead of the fleet.
  • carry out — If you carry out a threat, task, or instruction, you do it or act according to it.
  • aid — Aid is money, equipment, or services that are provided for people, countries, or organizations who need them but cannot provide them for themselves.
  • assist — If you assist someone, you help them to do a job or task by doing part of the work for them.

See also

Matching words

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