ignite
verb [intransitive, transitive] (formal)to start to burn; to make something start to burn (使)燃烧,着火;点燃 Gas ignites very easily. 汽油易燃。 - (figurative)
Tempers ignited when the whole family spent Christmas together. 全家凑到一起过圣诞节,大家心里都十分激动。 - ignite something
Flames melted a lead pipe and ignited leaking gas. 火焰熔化了一段铅管,燃着了漏出来的煤气。 - (figurative)
His words ignited their anger. 他的话引发了他们的怒火。
Extra ExamplesThe burning foam generates such heat that other items in the room can ignite spontaneously. 燃烧的泡沫材料使温度升得很高,屋里的其它物品都可以自燃了。 The gunpowder sometimes fails to ignite. 火药有时候点不着。 an explosive that is easily ignited 容易点燃的爆炸物
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- spontaneously
- instantly
- suddenly
- …
- fail to
Word Originmid 17th cent. (in the sense ‘make intensely hot’): from Latin ignire ‘set on fire’, from ignis ‘fire’.