1. (

• fire ,
• firing ,

) the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy; "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes"; "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire" ;

2. (

• discharge ,
• firing ,
• firing_off

) the act of discharging a gun ;

3. (

• ignition ,
• firing ,
• lighting ,
• kindling ,
• inflammation ,

) the act of setting something on fire ;

4. (

• dismissal ,
• dismission ,
• discharge ,
• firing ,
• liberation ,
• release ,
• sack ,
• sacking

) the termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart) ;

1. (

• open_fire ,
• fire ,

) start firing a weapon ;

2. (

• fire ,
• discharge ,

) cause to go off; "fire a gun"; "fire a bullet" ;

3. (

• fire

) bake in a kiln so as to harden; "fire pottery" ;

4. (

• displace ,
• fire ,
• give_notice ,
• can ,
• dismiss ,
• give_the_axe ,
• send_away ,
• sack ,
• force_out ,
• give_the_sack ,
• terminate ,

) terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position; "The boss fired his secretary today"; "The company terminated 25% of its workers" ;

5. (

• fire ,
• discharge ,
• go_off

) go off or discharge; "The gun fired" ;

6. (

• fire ,

) drive out or away by or as if by fire; "The soldiers were fired"; "Surrender fires the cold skepticism" ;

7. (

• arouse ,
• elicit ,
• enkindle ,
• kindle ,
• evoke ,
• fire ,
• raise ,
• provoke

) call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses); "arouse pity"; "raise a smile"; "evoke sympathy" ;

8. (

• burn ,
• fire ,
• burn_down ,

) destroy by fire; "They burned the house and his diaries" ;

9. (

• fuel ,
• fire

) provide with fuel; "Oil fires the furnace" ;

10. (

• fire

) generate an electrical impulse; "the neurons fired fast" ;

11. (

• fire ,
• flame_up

) become ignited; "The furnace wouldn't fire" ;

12. (

• fire ,
• light ,
• ignite

) start or maintain a fire in; "fire the furnace" ;