*fir*

v. i. 1. To declare or assert positively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not that I so affirm, though so it seem
To thee, who hast thy dwelling here on earth. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) To make a solemn declaration, before an authorized magistrate or tribunal, under the penalties of perjury; to testify by affirmation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being affirmed, asserted, or declared; -- followed by of; as, an attribute affirmable of every just man. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. afermance. ] 1. Confirmation; ratification; confirmation of a voidable act. [ 1913 Webster ]

This statute . . . in affirmance of the common law. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A strong declaration; affirmation. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affirmans, -antis, p. pr. See Affirm. ] 1. One who affirms or asserts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) One who affirms, instead of taking an oath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affirmatio: cf. F. affirmation. ] 1. Confirmation of anything established; ratification; as, the affirmation of a law. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of affirming or asserting as true; assertion; -- opposed to negation or denial. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is asserted; an assertion; a positive statement; an averment; as, an affirmation, by the vender, of title to property sold, or of its quality. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) A solemn declaration made under the penalties of perjury, by persons who conscientiously decline taking an oath, which declaration is in law equivalent to an oath. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. affirmativus: cf. F. affirmatif. ] 1. Confirmative; ratifying; as, an act affirmative of common law. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That affirms; asserting that the fact is so; declaratory of what exists; answering “yes” to a question; -- opposed to negative; as, an affirmative answer; an affirmative vote. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Positive; dogmatic. [ Obs. ] J. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lysicles was a little by the affirmative air of Crito. Berkeley. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (logic) Expressing the agreement of the two terms of a proposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Alg.) Positive; -- a term applied to quantities which are to be added, and opposed to negative, or such as are to be subtracted. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. That which affirms as opposed to that which denies; an affirmative proposition; that side of question which affirms or maintains the proposition stated; -- opposed to negative; as, there were forty votes in the affirmative, and ten in the negative. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whether there are such beings or not, 't is sufficient for my purpose that many have believed the affirmative. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A word or phrase expressing affirmation or assent; as, yes, that is so, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a policy of making active efforts to improve the employment or educational opportunities available to members of minority groups or women; -- achieved by employers or schools by using various techniques, but excluding the use of simple quotas or outright discrimination against white males. affirmative action is required by law for certain employers in the United States. [ PJC ]

adv. In an affirmative manner; on the affirmative side of a question; in the affirmative; -- opposed to negatively. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Giving affirmation; assertive; affirmative. Massey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who affirms. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ Pref. a- + fire. ] On fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

See Saint Anthony's Fire, under Saint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A low fire used in chemical operations. [ 1913 Webster ]

. 1. A fire started ahead of a forest or prairie fire to burn only against the wind, so that when the two fires meet both must go out for lack of fuel. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. (a) A premature explosion in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke, tending to drive the piston in a direction reverse to that in which it should travel; also called a knock or ping. (b) an explosion in the exhaust passages of an internal combustion engine. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

, v. i. 1. (Engin.) To have or experience a back fire or back fires; -- said of an internal-combustion engine. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. Of a Bunsen or similar air-fed burner, to light so that the flame proceeds from the internal gas jet instead of from the external jet of mixed gas and air. -- Back"-fir`ing, n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

n. [ AS. b&aemacr_;lf&ymacr_;r the fire of the funeral pile; b&aemacr_;l fire, flame (akin to Icel. bāl, OSlav. bēlŭ, white, Gr. falo`s bright, white, Skr. bhāla brightness) + f&ymacr_;r, E. fire. ] A signal fire; an alarm fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sweet Teviot! on thy silver tide
The glaring balefires blaze no more. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bonefire, banefire, orig. a fire of bones; bone + fire; but cf. also Prov. E. bun a dry stalk. ] A large fire built in the open air, as an expression of public joy and exultation, or for amusement. [ 1913 Webster ]

Full soon by bonfire and by bell,
We learnt our liege was passing well. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

. See under Cartridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Confrmed p. pr. & vb. n. Confirming. ] [ OE. confermen, confirmen, OF. confermer, F. confirmer, fr. L. confirmare; con- + firmare to make firm, fr. firmus firm. See Firm. ] 1. To make firm or firmer; to add strength to; to establish; as, health is confirmed by exercise. [ 1913 Webster ]

Confirm the crown to me and to mine heirs. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law. Ps. cv. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To strengthen in judgment or purpose. [ 1913 Webster ]

Confirmed, then, I resolve
Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To give new assurance of the truth of; to render certain; to verify; to corroborate; as, to confirm a rumor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your eyes shall witness and confirm my tale. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

These likelihoods confirm her flight. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To render valid by formal assent; to complete by a necessary sanction; to ratify; as, to confirm the appoinment of an official; the Senate confirms a treaty. [ 1913 Webster ]

That treaty so prejudicial ought to have been remitted rather than confimed. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Eccl.) To administer the rite of confirmation to. See Confirmation, 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those which are thus confirmed are thereby supposed to be fit for admission to the sacrament. Hammond.

Syn. -- To strengthen; corroborate; substantiate; establish; fix; ratify; settle; verify; assure. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be confirmed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Confirmation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. confirmation, L. confirmatio. ] 1. The act of confirming or strengthening; the act of establishing, ratifying, or sanctioning; as, the confirmation of an appointment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their blood is shed
In confirmation of the noblest claim. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which confirms; that which gives new strength or assurance; as to a statement or belief; additional evidence; proof; convincing testimony. [ 1913 Webster ]

Trifles light as air
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eccl.) A rite supplemental to baptism, by which a person is admitted, through the laying on of the hands of a bishop, to the full privileges of the church, as in the Roman Catholic, the Episcopal Church, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

This ordinance is called confirmation, because they who duly receive it are confirmed or strengthened for the fulfillment of their Christian duties, by the grace therein bestowed upon them. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) A conveyance by which a voidable estate is made sure and not voidable, or by which a particular estate is increased; a contract, express or implied, by which a person makes that firm and binding which was before voidable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. confirmativus: cf. F. confirmatif. ] Tending to confirm or establish. Sherwood.

-- Con*firm"a*tive*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ L. ] One who, or that which, confirms; a confirmer. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving to confirm; corroborative. [ 1913 Webster ]

A fact confirmatory of the conclusion. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to the rite of confirmation. Compton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With confirmation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A fixed state. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. confirmé, p. p. of confirmer. ] (Law) One to whom anything is confirmed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, confirms, establishes, or ratifies; one who corroborates. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a confirming manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To assert the contrary of; to contradict; to deny; -- said of that which has been asserted. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) To refuse to confirm; to annul, as a judicial decision, by a contrary judgment of a superior tribunal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of disaffirming; denial; negation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Overthrow or annulment by the decision of a superior tribunal; as, disaffirmance of judgment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of disaffirming; negation; refutation. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Eng. Universities) (a) A degree of the first class both in classics and mathematics. (b) One who gains at examinations the highest honor both in the classics and the mathematics. Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

See Corposant; also Saint Elmo's Fire, under Saint. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To set on fire. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dan. fyr, fyrr; akin to Sw. furu, Icel. fura, AS. furh in furhwudu fir wood, G. föhre, OHG. forha pine, vereheih a sort of oak, L. quercus oak. ] (Bot.) A genus (Abies) of coniferous trees, often of large size and elegant shape, some of them valued for their timber and others for their resin. The species are distinguished as the balsam fir, the silver fir, the red fir, etc. The Scotch fir is a Pinus. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Fir in the Bible means any one of several coniferous trees, including, cedar, cypress, and probably three species of pine. J. D. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. fir, fyr, fur AS. f&ymacr_;r; akin to D. vuur, OS. & OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel. f&ymacr_;ri, fūrr, Gr. py^r, and perh. to L. purus pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean, Pyre. ] 1. The evolution of light and heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The form of fire exhibited in the combustion of gases in an ascending stream or current is called flame. Anciently, fire, air, earth, and water were regarded as the four elements of which all things are composed. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in a stove or a furnace. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The burning of a house or town; a conflagration. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Anything which destroys or affects like fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth; consuming violence of temper. [ 1913 Webster ]

he had fire in his temper. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal. [ 1913 Webster ]

And bless their critic with a poet's fire. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star. [ 1913 Webster ]

Stars, hide your fires. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

As in a zodiac
representing the heavenly fires. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Torture by burning; severe trial or affliction. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were exposed to a heavy fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blue fire,
Red fire,
Green fire (Pyrotech.), compositions of various combustible substances, as sulphur, niter, lampblack, etc., the flames of which are colored by various metallic salts, as those of antimony, strontium, barium, etc. --
Fire alarm (a) A signal given on the breaking out of a fire. (b) An apparatus for giving such an alarm. --
Fire annihilator, a machine, device, or preparation to be kept at hand for extinguishing fire by smothering it with some incombustible vapor or gas, as carbonic acid. --
Fire balloon. (a) A balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy of air heated by a fire placed in the lower part. (b) A balloon sent up at night with fireworks which ignite at a regulated height. Simmonds. --
Fire bar, a grate bar. --
Fire basket, a portable grate; a cresset. Knight. --
Fire beetle. (Zool.) See in the Vocabulary. --
Fire blast, a disease of plants which causes them to appear as if burnt by fire. --
Fire box, the chamber of a furnace, steam boiler, etc., for the fire. --
Fire brick, a refractory brick, capable of sustaining intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or of siliceous material, with some cementing substance, and used for lining fire boxes, etc. --
Fire brigade, an organized body of men for extinguished fires. --
Fire bucket. See under Bucket. --
Fire bug, an incendiary; one who, from malice or through mania, persistently sets fire to property; a pyromaniac. [ U.S. ] --
Fire clay. See under Clay. --
Fire company, a company of men managing an engine in extinguishing fires. --
Fire cross. See Fiery cross. [ Obs. ] Milton. --
Fire damp. See under Damp. --
Fire dog. See Firedog, in the Vocabulary. --
Fire drill. (a) A series of evolutions performed by fireman for practice. (b) An apparatus for producing fire by friction, by rapidly twirling a wooden pin in a wooden socket; -- used by the Hindoos during all historic time, and by many savage peoples. --
Fire eater. (a) A juggler who pretends to eat fire. (b) A quarrelsome person who seeks affrays; a hotspur. [ Colloq. ] --
Fire engine, a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels, for throwing water to extinguish fire. --
Fire escape, a contrivance for facilitating escape from burning buildings. --
Fire gilding (Fine Arts), a mode of gilding with an amalgam of gold and quicksilver, the latter metal being driven off afterward by heat. --
Fire gilt (Fine Arts), gold laid on by the process of fire gilding. --
Fire insurance, the act or system of insuring against fire; also, a contract by which an insurance company undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium or small percentage -- usually made periodically -- to indemnify an owner of property from loss by fire during a specified period. --
Fire irons, utensils for a fireplace or grate, as tongs, poker, and shovel. --
Fire main, a pipe for water, to be used in putting out fire. --
Fire master (Mil), an artillery officer who formerly supervised the composition of fireworks. --
Fire office, an office at which to effect insurance against fire. --
Fire opal, a variety of opal giving firelike reflections. --
Fire ordeal, an ancient mode of trial, in which the test was the ability of the accused to handle or tread upon red-hot irons. Abbot. --
Fire pan, a pan for holding or conveying fire, especially the receptacle for the priming of a gun. --
Fire plug, a plug or hydrant for drawing water from the main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing fires. --
Fire policy, the writing or instrument expressing the contract of insurance against loss by fire. --
Fire pot. (a) (Mil.) A small earthen pot filled with combustibles, formerly used as a missile in war. (b) The cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a furnace. (c) A crucible. (d) A solderer's furnace. --
Fire raft, a raft laden with combustibles, used for setting fire to an enemy's ships. --
Fire roll, a peculiar beat of the drum to summon men to their quarters in case of fire. --
Fire setting (Mining), the process of softening or cracking the working face of a lode, to facilitate excavation, by exposing it to the action of fire; -- now generally superseded by the use of explosives. Raymond. --
Fire ship, a vessel filled with combustibles, for setting fire to an enemy's ships. --
Fire shovel, a shovel for taking up coals of fire. --
Fire stink, the stench from decomposing iron pyrites, caused by the formation of hydrogen sulfide. Raymond. --
Fire surface, the surfaces of a steam boiler which are exposed to the direct heat of the fuel and the products of combustion; heating surface. --
Fire swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc. Farrow. --
Fire teaser, in England, the fireman of a steam emgine. --
Fire water, a strong alcoholic beverage; -- so called by the American Indians. --
Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called Chebers, or Guebers, and among the Parsees of India. --
Greek fire. See under Greek. --
On fire, burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager; zealous. --
Running fire, the rapid discharge of firearms in succession by a line of troops. --
St. Anthony's fire, erysipelas; -- an eruptive fever which St. Anthony was supposed to cure miraculously. Hoblyn. --
St. Elmo's fire. See under Saint Elmo. --
To set on fire, to inflame; to kindle. --
To take fire, to begin to burn; to fly into a passion. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Fired p. pr. & vb. n. Fring. ] 1. To set on fire; to kindle; as, to fire a house or chimney; to fire a pile. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To subject to intense heat; to bake; to burn in a kiln; as, to fire pottery. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions; as, to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Love had fired my mind. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To animate; to give life or spirit to; as, to fire the genius of a young man. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To feed or serve the fire of; as, to fire a boiler. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ The sun ] fires the proud tops of the eastern pines. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To cause to explode; as, to fire a torpedo; to disharge; as, to fire a rifle, pistol, or cannon; to fire cannon balls, rockets, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To drive by fire. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Till my bad angel fire my good one out. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Far.) To cauterize. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. to dismiss from employment, a post, or other job; to cause (a person) to cease being an employee; -- of a person. The act of firing is usually performed by that person's supervisor or employer. “You can't fire me! I quit!” [ PJC ]

To fire up, 1. to light up the fires of, as of an engine; also, figuratively, to start up any machine. -- 2. to render enthusiastic; -- of people. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. i. 1. To take fire; to be kindled; to kindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be irritated or inflamed with passion. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To discharge artillery or firearms; as, they fired on the town. [ 1913 Webster ]

To fire up, to grow irritated or angry. “He . . . fired up, and stood vigorously on his defense.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A gun, pistol, or any weapon from which a shot is discharged by the force of an explosive substance, as gunpowder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of several species of pheasants of the genus Euplocamus, having the lower back a bright, fiery red. They inhabit Southern Asia and the East Indies. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Mil.) A ball filled with powder or other combustibles, intended to be thrown among enemies, and to injure by explosion; also, to set fire to their works and light them up, so that movements may be seen. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A rare phenomenon often associated with or caused by lightning, resembling a luminous ball of fire passing rapidly through the air or along solid objects, then disappearing, and sometimes exploding. It seldom lasts more than a few seconds. Also called ball lightning, globe lightning, globular lightning, or kugelblitz. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

3. A large mass of fire caused by a large explosion, as of inflammable liquids or a nuclear device. The larger fireballs, as of nuclear explosions, rise seemingly intact into the air and may reach high altitudes while still glowing. [ PJC ]

n. A beacon. [ Obs. ] Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) A very brilliantly luminous beetle (Pyrophorus noctilucus), one of the elaters, found in Central and South America; -- called also cucujo. The name is also applied to other species. See Firefly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The Baltimore oriole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A chimney board or screen to close a fireplace when not in use. [ 1913 Webster ]