[a. OF. combust (14th c. in Godefroy), ad. L. combūst-us, pa. pple. of combūr-ĕre: see COMBURE.]
† 1. Burnt; spec. acted on by fire, calcined. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Chan. Yem. Prol. & T., 258. Combust matirs and coagulat.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., v., in Ashm. (1652), 64. Of a Combust terrestrietie.
1562. Bulleyn, Bk. Simples, 80 b. The skinnes of them combust or burnt.
1678. R. R[ussell], trans. Geber, I. iii. 6. Cast it combust into hot Water.
† b. Adust. Combust choler: ‘choler adust.’
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, xii. 67. Two kindes of melancholy, the one sequestred from all admixtion … the other … a combust black choler.
c. as sb. That which is burnt.
1824. Coleridge, Rem. (1836), II. 411. The combustive, the combustible, and the combust.
2. Astrol. Of the planets: Burnt up (as it were) by the sun in or near conjunction; (seemingly) extinguished by the sun’s light.
‘A planet is combust when within 8° 30′ of the body of the sun: its influence is then said to be burnt up, or destroyed.’
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 668. If I had, O Venus. Aspectes badde of Mars, or of Saturne, Or thou combuste. Ibid. (c. 1391), Astrol., II. § 4. The lord of the assendent … is fortunat … whan … þat he be nat retrograd ne combust.
1585. Lupton, Thous. Notable Th. (1675), 95. If in the Nativity of the Husband Venus be combust, the wife shall die before the husband.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 67. Who can discern those planets that are oft Combust … untill the opposite motion of their orbs bring them … where they may be seen evning or morning?
1808. Scott, Marm., III. xx. Many a planetary sign, Combust, and retrograde, and trine.
b. Combust way: ‘the space in the second half of Libra, and through the whole Sign of Scorpio’ (Bailey).
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XVIII. ii. Frome the combust way she [Dyane] had her so sped, She had no let that was to be dredde.
1696. Phillips, s.v. Combustion, Combustway, by reason of several violent or malignant fixed Stars in the second half of Libra and through the whole Sign of Scorpio.
