afireadv.adj.
/əˈfʌɪə/, U.S. /əˈfaɪ(ə)r/ A. adv.
1. On fire, in or into a state of burning, in or into flames. Esp. in to set afire.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > burning > [adverb] > burning or on fire
afirec1275
alight1770
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) 13531 Mærlin sæide whilen, þat sculden for Ardure [read Arðure] Rome ifullen afure.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 7805 Þe grete cite of medes suþþe afure [?a1425 B in a feer; c1450 B on a fere] he sette.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1876) VI. 457 (MED) He..sette þe abbay of Ripoun a fire [a1425 Harl. afuyre, c1400 Tiber. a vure].
1480 Cronicles Eng. (Caxton) clxxxxij. sig. e5v The scottes sette a fire the stakkes of hey.
a1500 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 15th Cent. (1939) 279 (MED) A lytell spark may set a towne a-fyre.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 45 In Illyricum there is a cold spring, ouer which, if ye spread any clothes, they catch a fire and burne.
1647 T. Fuller Good Thoughts in Worse Times iv. ix. 155 If our Clay-Cottage be not cooled with rest, the Roofe falls a fire.
1712 E. A. Burgis Ann. Church i. 64 Others were anointed with Gum, Rosine, Wax and other combustible Matters, had a Stake put under their Chin, to keep 'em from bending, then were set afire.
1768 Earl of Carlisle in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1843) II. 272 Why did you not set his timber-yard a-fire?
1820 R. H. Barham Baldwin I. ii. 35 A fine lad he was, to be sure, for all he was a little mischievous, and once set my wig afire.
1858 Atlantic Monthly Nov. 742/2 If you'd seen her or heerd her when our boardin'-house caught afire,..I guess you'd like to have stood still and looked on.
1875 W. D. Parish Dict. Sussex Dial. (at cited word) They've been chastising my boy of setting the faggot-stack a-fire.
1927 A. C. Parker Indian How Bk. v. liv. 244 I set the wick afire and with the pole as a lever, threw the flaming wick high in the air.
1937 J. R. R. Tolkien Hobbit xiv. 254 Another house and then another sprang afire and fell.
1971 Advocate-News (Barbados) 4 June 1 in R. Allsopp Dict. Caribbean Eng. Usage (1996) 12/1 One building obliquely opposite the service station-restaurant caught afire, and the roof and first storey..were destroyed.
2004 D. Carter Stonewall (2005) ix. 172 The area that was set afire is where the coatroom was.
2. figurative and in figurative contexts. In or into a heightened state of emotion or activity; in or into an intense passion. Esp. in to set afire.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > passion > ardour or fervour > [adverb] > in inflamed manner
afirec1384
inflamedly1637
in a flame1790
aflame1879
the mind > emotion > love > amorous love > [adverb] > (of passion) on fire
afirea1500
the mind > emotion > passion > ardour or fervour > [adjective] > burning or inflamed (of passions)
chafedc1330
burninga1400
ferventa1400
scaldingc1400
flagrant?1521
frying1587
incensed1612
warmed1700
white-hot1833
afire1846
akindle1869
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Royal) (1850) James iii. 6 The tunge..enflaumed, or set afijre, of helle, enflaumeth the wheel of oure birthe [1526 Tyndale, 1560 Geneva a fyre].
c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 2493 The deuyl sette here soules bothe a fere [c1500 Trin. Cambr. afyre].
a1450 (c1412) T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum (Harl. 4866) (1897) l. 3472 (MED) Herte voyde of ire Hath naght wherwith to sette a tonge afire.
a1500 in Antiquary (1901) 37 53 (MED) The fende..set afyre in her love Fabricion, provost of that londe.
1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer ii. sig. F.iii Hee seemeth among other miracles of his to take delite in spite of fears to set afire frozen herts.
1604 T. Wright Passions of Minde (new ed.) v. §4. 279 Lovers ire sets love afier.
1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews I. i. xvii. 127 Some of a graver Character were set afire by her Charms! View more context for this quotation
1846 Amer. Rev. Mar. 313/1 In the midst of the curses and clamors, the indomitable Fitz shouted out to some of the tallow-coated sufferers who were most obstreperous—‘Boys, keep cool—don't catch afire you wick-ed fellows.’
1874 E. Eggleston Circuit Rider xxiii. 218 The news that he was to preach had set the Hissawachee Settlement afire with eager curiosity to hear him.
1918 Morning Telegraph (N.Y.) 7 July ii. 8/1 The megaphone man kept singing away into his nose the information that was warranted to set the heart afire.
1953 L. de Wohl Set All Afire 191 When my General, Father Ignatius, sent me out he said to me: ‘Go and set all afire.’ I am trying to carry out his order, but I know I need help, and that means that I must also try to set afire some of those at home.
2006 K. J. Marsh Aura of Love liii. 324 Jace's temper caught afire, and he literally saw red.
B. adj. In predicative use only.
1. That is on fire, burning, in flames.See also like a house afire at house n.1 and int. Phrases 1h.
ΚΠ
a1350 Body & Soul (Harl. 2253) l. 59 in A. S. M. Clark Seint Maregrete & Body & Soul (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Michigan) (1972) 130 Þe world shal al o fure ben.]
1447 O. Bokenham Lives of Saints (Arun.) (1938) l. 5833 (MED) Mary dede appere..wyth a brynnyng chere, As alle þe hous had been afere.
1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. clviii. 192 All the base court was afyre.
1594 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 iv. vii. 124 Robin. London bridge is a fire. Cade. Runne to Billingsgate, and fetche pitch and flaxe and squench it.
1709 S. Sewall Diary 13 July (1973) II. 621 I found the Deal-Box of Wafers all afire, burning livelily.
1847 W. T. Porter Quarter Race Kentucky 84 Pourin out of the woods like pissants out of an old log when tother end's afire.
1869 C. Dickens Let. 7 Mar. (2002) XII. 306 We have had our sitting-room chimney afire this morning.
1892 Davenport (Iowa) Daily Leader 26 Jan. 5/2 The press boy appeared from the press-room with the intelligence that the press-room was afire.
1908 H. G. Wells War in Air vi. 194 It had crept in upon his mind, chillingly terrifyingly, that these illuminated black masses were great offices afire.
1951 W. D. Edmonds They fought with what they Had i. iii. 100 Most of the buildings had been hit, and many were afire.
2011 T. Schaffert Coffins of Little Hope lvi. 238 I'd meant for him..to apologize for always putting the paper first, always rushing off to follow runaways, houses afire, public drunkenness, devastating storms rapidly approaching.
2. figurative and in figurative contexts. Highly emotional or active; intensely passionate.
ΚΠ
1631 W. Lisle Faire Æthiopian i. 19 Staid is his desire By her Sirenish song (though more afire).
1732 T. Fuller Gnomologia 244 When the Heart is a fire, some Sparks will fly out of the Mouth.
1844 H. W. Herbert Lord of Manor vii. 42 His heart was afire with unholy passions for the betrothed wife of another.
1875 F. W. H. Myers Poems 51 With trembling knees and heart afire.
1931 E. Linklater Juan in Amer. (1987) 112 And the soft-hearted footballers..went out with souls afire.
1964 Jet 9 Apr. 18 For two hours the city was afire with race hatred.
1995 P. Conroy Beach Music (1996) xxxiii. 589 The tide was coming in and running strong to the north as those tiny loggerheads, afire with sudden life,..fanned out in careless disorder.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adv.adj.c1275