The Complete Vocabulary Builder Workbook

incinerate

IPA:

Dictionary definition of incinerate

To burn something completely to ashes or to a state of intense heat and combustion.
"The blacksmith used intense heat to incinerate the impurities from the metal."

Detailed meaning of incinerate

The verb "incinerate" refers to the act of It involves subjecting an object or material to high temperatures, typically using fire or some other form of intense heat source, until it is reduced to ashes or completely destroyed. Incineration is often used as a method of waste disposal, particularly for hazardous or toxic materials, as it can neutralize harmful substances and reduce their volume. However, incineration can also have negative environmental impacts, such as releasing harmful gases into the air or contaminating soil and water sources. Overall, the act of incinerating something involves a process of intense burning and can have both positive and negative consequences depending on the circumstances.

Example sentences containing incinerate

1. The city plans to incinerate the trash collected each week.
2. Please ensure you incinerate all the confidential documents after reading.
3. It's dangerous to incinerate plastic due to the toxic fumes it emits.
4. As part of their job, firefighters learn how to control and incinerate materials safely.
5. The funeral home uses a special oven to incinerate remains.
6. In order to make space for new crops, farmers sometimes incinerate old stubble.

History and etymology of incinerate

The verb 'incinerate' has its origins in Latin, deriving from the word 'incinerare.' In Latin, 'in' means 'into' or 'completely,' and 'cinis' refers to 'ashes.' Therefore, 'incinerare' originally signified the process of reducing something to ashes through intense burning. Over time, this meaning has persisted, and 'incinerate' is now commonly used to describe the act of burning something completely to ashes or to a state of intense heat and combustion. The etymology of 'incinerate' vividly illustrates its connection to the transformation of matter into ashes through the intense application of fire, reflecting its modern usage.

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Further usage examples of incinerate

1. You cannot simply incinerate your problems and expect them to disappear.
2. To prevent spread, the CDC instructed hospitals to incinerate the contaminated materials.
3. The intense heat of the desert sun seemed to incinerate everything in its path.
4. To avoid causing pollution, factories must find more environmentally friendly ways to incinerate waste.
5. The proposal to incinerate hazardous waste was met with widespread community opposition.
6. We're going to incinerate the evidence so there's no trace left behind.
7. Every year, wildfires incinerate thousands of acres of forestland.
8. The chemistry lab has a special container to safely incinerate volatile substances.
9. You should incinerate these old letters; their sentiments no longer hold true.
10. Remember to incinerate the spent rocket fuel to maintain a clean environment.
11. The dragon was said to incinerate its victims with a single breath.
12. I saw the laser beam incinerate the target in an instant.
13. The extreme temperatures of re-entry will incinerate any spacecraft not properly shielded.
14. Incinerate the wooden blocks carefully; we don't want to start a large fire.