November 29, 2014 – Word of the Day

burn

To burn something is to cause damage from heat or produce energy.

• I burned myself while I was using the oven.
• She always burns herself when she cooks.
• If you don’t pay attention, you might burn your food.
• The food might get burned. (This sentences uses the passive voice with the verb "get.")
• I smell something burning.
• It smells like something is burning.
• Tom burns wood in the winter to heat his home.
• The local power plant burns coal to produce electricity.
• If you stay in the sun for too long, your skin will get burned.

In the next set of sentences, "burn" is a noun:

• He has a nasty burn on his leg.
• A severe burn on your skin requires attention from a doctor.
• A third-degree burn is a very serious injury.
• There’s a cigarette burn on the table.
• The carpet has a huge burn mark on it and must be replaced. (The word "burn" is used as an adjective in this sentence.)

He got a sunburn.

Sometimes the word "burn" is used when a person is cheated in business or humiliated:

• Roger got burned on a business deal.
• If you aren’t careful when choosing a house to buy, you might get burned.
• Renee could feel the slow burn of embarassment cross her face when she said the wrong thing to a friend of hers.

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