Forms: see BURN v.1 [f. BURN v.1 + -ING1.] The action of the verb BURN in its various senses.
I. Connected with the intr. senses of the verb.
1. The condition of being on fire; the action of sending up flames; hence concr. flame. Cf. 5 b.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2875. Þe fire it haldes þar stedfast, thoru brennyng of þe brinstane.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 358. Brennyng of Laumpis.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 39. Flamynge in fyre as though all the kechyn had ben in brennynge.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. ii. 45. Tut, man! one fire burnes out anothers burning.
1695. Blackmore, Pr. Arthur, III. 711. The troubled whirlpool belches Burnings out.
1805. Wordsw., Waggoner, I. 169. A burning of portentous red.
b. fig. The intensity of passion; the state of being inflamed with grief, rage, desire, etc. Also in comb., as heart-burning.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. vii. (1495), 33. Seraphin passyth other angels in brennynge of loue.
a. 1400. Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. (1867), 22. All þat kyndills þi lykynge in brynnynge of charite.
1633. P. Fletcher, Poet. Misc., 80.
| But when all his verses turning | |
| Onely fann’d his poore hearts burning. |
1643. Milton, Divorce, I. iv. That burning mentioned by St. Paul, wherof Marriage ought to be the remedy.
1822. Scott, Nigel, i. While these heart-burnings were at their highest.
2. Heat, glowing warmth.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XIII. Prol. 23. The recent dew begynnis doun to scaill To meys the byrnyng quhar the son had schine.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 50. She with her teares Doth quench the maiden burning of his cheekes.
3. Phosphorescence of the sea; = BRIMING. Cf. also BRINY a. 2
1667. H. Stubbe, in Phil. Trans., II. 497. As to the Burning of the Sea, I could never observe so great a Light, as to perceive Fishes in the Sea.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., The burning of sea water … its yielding a brisk light.
† 4. Heat attendant upon disease or a serpent’s bite; the disease itself; esp. erysipelas or St. Anthony’s fire, and venereal disease. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Levit. xiii. 28. And therfor it shal be clensid, for a fel wounde of brennyng it is.
c. 1390. MS. quoted in Phil. Trans., XXX. 845. A Receipt for Brenning of the Pyntyl, yat men clepe ye Apegalle.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. ix. (1495), 759. The serpent Ophites hath as many manere of brennynges and greuynges as he hath speckles and colours.
c. 1430. MS. quoted in Phil. Trans., XXX. 842. That no Stew-holder keep noo Woman wythin his Hous that hath any Sycknesse of Brenning.
1547. Boorde, Breuyary. The 19th Chapiter doth shew of Burning of an Harlotte.
1552. Huloet, Burning or ytche in the skynne, vredo.
a. 1571. Jewel, On Thess. ii. (1583), 346. Ech Saint was assigned … to his sundry charge … Antonie, for the burning.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Ibid. (1753), Cycl. Supp., Burning is more particularly used for … erysipelas.
1860. Mayne, Exp. Lex., Burning, an old English name for Gonorrhœa.
II. Connected with the trans. senses of the verb.
5. The action of consuming or injuring by fire.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3653. Brenninge he [Moyses] calde ðat stede.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 138. At the brennynge [v.r. berneynge] Of the bodies.
1594. West, Symbol., II. § 201. Burning of a barne adioyning to a dwelling house by night.
1648. Art. Peace, xxii. in Milton’s Wks., 1851, IV. 527 The other [Act] prohibiting the Burning of Oats in the Straw.
1865. Reader, 25 Feb., 221/2. Whether Omar really ordered the burning of the Alexandrian library or not.
b. concr. A conflagration, a fire.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. ix. 509. Of þat brynnyn Schyre Willame Ðe Besat bare þan girt defame.
1543–4. Act 35 Hen. VIII., xii. The same Scottes … make … spoyles burnynges, murders … and depopulations in this his realme.
1611. Bible, Amos iv. 11. And yee were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning.
1700. Tyrrell, Hist. Eng., II. 792. There were cruel Plunderings and Burnings committed in that Province.
1758. Hayward, Serm., xvi. 485. Sentenced to everlasting burnings.
6. The infliction of capital punishment by burning.
c. 1375. Wyclif, Antecrist, 119. Martyres han suffrid many dyvers kyndis of peynes as … drenchyng, brennyng & many oþer.
c. 1450. Merlin, i. 21. He hadde delyuered his moder fro brennynge be gode reson.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 205 b. All maner of outwarde paynes, as burnynge, drownynge, or suche other.
1812. L. Hunt, in Examiner, 28 Dec., 819/2. The burnings of Queen Mary might have been excused because there was a burning under Edward the Sixth.
† 7. A sore caused by fire or heat; a burn. Obs.
1542–3. Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII., viii. § 1. Scaldinges, burninges, sore mouthes … & such other like diseases.
1616. Surflet & Markh., Countr. Farm, 75. A Cataplasme made of the yolke and white of an egge … applyed vnto burnings, doth quench … them.
8. The treatment of any substance with fire for a specific purpose. a. = BURNBEATING.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric., v. § 1. 62. This Art of Burning of Land … is not applicable or necessary to all sorts of Land.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Burning of land, called also burn beating.
1814. Sir H. Davy, Agric. Chem., 344. The improvement of sterile lands by burning was known to the Romans.
c. 1842. Lance, Cottage Farmer, 6–7.
b. The preparation of lime, bricks, pottery, etc., by the use of fire; also the burning on or fixing of colors by the application of fire.
1559. Morwyng, Evonym., 214. Men thinke them to be … les smelling of any fyrines and brenning.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 57. The burning of lime in China … being as followeth.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), I. ix. 146. Tiles of my own making and burning.
1784. Wedgwood, in Phil. Trans., LXXIV. 366. The burning-on of enamel colours upon earthen ware.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Burning, see Calcining.
c. Surg. Cautery.
1636. Healey, Epictetus’ Man., 163. To live, of itselfe, is neither good nor evill, no more then cutting or burning.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., II. iv. (1845), 210 (R.). To endure cuttings and burnings.
d. See BURN v. 13 c.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. vii. § 144. Yet there is another way of joining the two edges together in one, and yet not sodder them, but melt the edges by running hot Lead along it; which is termed the Burning of a joint.
† 9. Lighting up; illumination. Obs.
1466. in Past. Lett., 549, II. 267. For brinnyng of the Abbes [? Abbey] with the torches xxd.
b. The illumination of a river by torches for the gaffing of salmon.
1844. W. H. Maxwell, Sports & Adv. Scotl., xxix. (1855), 235. I look upon sunning and burning as the acts of privileged poachers.
10. Comb., as (sense 5) burning-lens, -mirror, -speculum; † burning-point, the focus of a lens (obs.); burning-fluid, -oil, -wood; (sense 8) burning-house, -iron. Also BURNING-GLASS.
1849. Weale, Dict. Terms, *Burning-house, the furnace in which tin ores are calcined.
1865. Pall Mall Gaz., 2 May, 6/2. There was a large burning house that evolved arsenical vapour.
1483. Cath. Angl., 32. A *Birnynge yrne … cauterium.
1503. Mem. Ripon (Surtees), III. 167. De proficuo ferri Sancti Wilfridi vocati Seintwilfride burningeyron.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 286. Euery townshyppe … ought to haue a dyuers brennynge yron.
1651. C. Cartwright, Cert. Relig., I. 96. For which last he was … branded on the shoulder with a hot borning iron.
1831. Brewster, Optics, xxxviii. § 164. By means of this powerful burning lens platina … quartz, garnet … were melted in a few seconds.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Burning-glass, Every concave mirrour … is … a *burning mirrour.
1698. A. Van Leeuwenhoek, in Phil. Trans., XX. 171. The *burning Point of the Magnifying Glass.
1807. Hutton, Course Math., II. 120. All rays parallel to the axis, are reflected to the focus, or burning point.
1837. Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sc. (1857), I. 367. Remarkable inventions—as … *burning specula.
1642. MS. Acc. St. John’s Hosp. Canterb., For fellinge … ashes and other *burninge wood vjs.
