combustion \ kəmˈbʌstʃən \ noun
1. a process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give heat and light
2. the act of burning something
3. a state of violent disturbance and excitement
The word combustion has appeared 97 times on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Nov. 7 in The New York Times Magazine article "One City's Secret to Happiness: The Annual Burning of a 50-Foot Effigy" by Caity Weaver:
The quantity of distinct elements that collide in a burning of Zozobra makes it both easy and impossible to describe. One could simply list random concepts forever; many of these are incorporated in some way into the event. It is difficult enough, I've learned, for the uninitiated to comprehend the central action: the combustion of a 50-foot marionette. For whatever reason -- perhaps steeling themselves against what they presume is inevitable disappointment -- people struggle to understand that when you say "They set a giant puppet on fire," you mean exactly what you say; that it is not an illusion; that no part of the giant puppet will be left not-on-fire; that it will be transformed, from top to bottom, into a roaring column of brilliant flame.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word combustion in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today's Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word's definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how combustion can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.