English Lexicon

Incinerate

/ɪnˈsɪn.ə.reɪt/
verbCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #1500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To destroy something completely by burning it.

    "The old documents were incinerated to protect sensitive information."
  2. 2

    To convert waste material into ash through combustion.

    "The city decided to incinerate its garbage to reduce landfill use."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word 'incinerate' originates from the Latin 'incinerare', meaning 'to reduce to ashes', which combines 'in-' (into) and 'cinis' (ashes). It entered the English language in the late 19th century, reflecting the process of burning waste to ash.

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