burning

By surface analysis, burn +‎ -ing.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /bɝnɪŋ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bɜːnɪŋ/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nɪŋ

burning

1. present participle and gerund of burn

burning (comparative more burning, superlative most burning)

1. So hot as to seem to burn (something).

   the burning sun

   • 1892, James Yoxall, chapter 5, in The Lonely Pyramid:

     The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. Whirling wreaths and columns of burning wind, rushed around and over them.

   • 1983 June 27, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley, Tony Swain, “Cruel Summer”, in Bananarama‎, performed by Bananarama:

     Hot summer streets and the pavements are burning, I sit around / Trying to smile, but the air is so heavy and dry

2. Feeling very hot.

   burning skin

3. Feeling great passion.

   her burning heart

4. Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement; powerful.

   burning zeal

   • 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. , London: Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC, (please specify the page number):

     like a young hound upon a burning scent

5. Being keenly discussed.

   a burning question; a burning issue

6. On fire.
   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948:

     The driver remained at his post, while telling fireman Jim Nightall to get down on the track and run back to uncouple the burning wagon from the rest.

burning (plural burnings)

1. The act by which something burns or is burned.
   • 1828, Timothy Flint, The Western Monthly Review, volume 1, page 403:

     It gives a fine delineation of the burnings of shame, disappointed ambition, and vengeance […]

   • 1850, The Edinburgh Review, Or Critical Journal, volume 91, page 93:

     The propriety of the dissolution, too, was speedily seen in the improved state of the public peace: for twelve years we hear little of Orange riots, and nothing of such burnings and wreckings as those of Maghera, Maghery, and Annahagh.

2. A fire.

   The burnings continued all day.

3. (cryptocurrencies) purposefully remove certain number of coins in circulation, by sending it to a public address where the private keys cannot be obtained (called burn address, eater address or black hole), usually should be available on the blockchain for anyone to review such a transaction. It’s a one-way address with no ability to reverse the transaction or withdraw the coins. For all practical purposes, the asset no longer exists (it has been “burned”). The act of burning effectively removes tokens from the available supply.
4. A fiery pain.

• “burning”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

• Bruning