bonfire

English

/ˈbɒnˌfaɪ.ə/, /ˈbɑnˌfaɪ.ɚ/

noun
Definitions
  • (obsolete) A fire in which bones are burned.
  • A fire to burn unwanted or disreputable items or people: proscribed books, heretics etc.
  • A large, controlled outdoor fire, as a signal or to celebrate something.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English bonefire com from English bone + English fire (shoot).

Origin

English

fire

Gloss

shoot

Concept
Semantic Field

Warfare and hunting

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Emoji
💉 🥃 🌠

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms