What is "on fire"

On \On\ ([o^]n), prep. [OE. on, an, o, a, AS. on, an; akin to D. aan, OS. & G. an, OHG. ana, Icel. [=a], Sw. [*a], Goth. ana, Russ. na, L. an-, in anhelare to pant, Gr. 'ana`, Zend ana. The general signification of on is situation, motion, or condition with respect to contact or support beneath; as:

1. At, or in contact with, the surface or upper part of a thing, and supported by it; placed or lying in contact with the surface; as, the book lies on the table, which stands on the floor of a house on an island.

   I stood on the bridge at midnight.
   --Longfellow.

2. To or against the surface of; -- used to indicate the motion of a thing as coming or falling to the surface of another; as, rain falls on the earth.

   Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken.
   --Matt. xxi. 44.

3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with; as, to play on a violin or piano. Hence, figuratively, to work on one's feelings; to make an impression on the mind.

4. At or near; adjacent to; -- indicating situation, place, or position; as, on the one hand, on the other hand; the fleet is on the American coast.

5. In addition to; besides; -- indicating multiplication or succession in a series; as, heaps on heaps; mischief on mischief; loss on loss; thought on thought.
   --Shak.

6. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in; as, to depend on a person for assistance; to rely on; hence, indicating the ground or support of anything; as, he will promise on certain conditions; to bet on a horse; based on certain assumptions.

7. At or in the time of; during; as, on Sunday we abstain from labor. See At (synonym).

8. At the time of; -- often conveying some notion of cause or motive; as, on public occasions, the officers appear in full dress or uniform; the shop is closed on Sundays. Hence, in consequence of, or following; as, on the ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded; start on the count of three.

9. Toward; for; -- indicating the object of some passion; as, have pity or compassion on him.

10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. ``Hence, on thy life.''
    --Dryden.

11. By virtue of; with the pledge of; -- denoting a pledge or engagement, and put before the thing pledged; as, he affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.

12. To the account of; -- denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon; as, on us be all the blame; a curse on him.

    His blood be on us and on our children.
    --Matt. xxvii. 25.

13. In reference or relation to; as, on our part expect punctuality; a satire on society.

14. Of. [Obs.] ``Be not jealous on me.''
    --Shak.

    Or have we eaten on the insane root That takes the reason prisoner?
    --Shak.

    Note: Instances of this usage are common in our older writers, and are sometimes now heard in illiterate speech.

15. Occupied with; in the performance of; as, only three officers are on duty; on a journey; on the job; on an assignment; on a case; on the alert.

16. In the service of; connected with; a member of; as, he is on a newspaper; on a committee.

    Note: On and upon are in general interchangeable. In some applications upon is more euphonious, and is therefore to be preferred; but in most cases on is preferable.

17. In reference to; about; concerning; as, to think on it; to meditate on it.

    On a bowline. (Naut.) Same as Closehauled.

    On a wind, or On the wind (Naut.), sailing closehauled.

    On a sudden. See under Sudden.

    On board, On draught, On fire, etc. See under Board, Draught, Fire, etc.

    On it, On't, of it. [Obs. or Colloq.]
    --Shak.

    On shore, on land; to the shore.

    On the road, On the way, On the wing, etc. See under Road, Way, etc.

    On to, upon; on; to; -- sometimes written as one word, onto, and usually called a colloquialism; but it may be regarded in analogy with into.

    They have added the -en plural form on to an elder plural.
    --Earle.

    We see the strength of the new movement in the new class of ecclesiastics whom it forced on to the stage.
    --J. R. Green.

Fire \Fire\ (f[imac]r), n. [OE. fir, fyr, fur AS. f[=y]r; akin to D. vuur, OS. & OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel. f[=y]ri, f[=u]rr, Gr. py^r, and perh. to L. purus pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean, Pyre.]

1. The evolution of light and heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition.

   Note: The form of fire exhibited in the combustion of gases in an ascending stream or current is called flame. Anciently, fire, air, earth, and water were regarded as the four elements of which all things are composed.

2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in a stove or a furnace.

3. The burning of a house or town; a conflagration.

4. Anything which destroys or affects like fire.

5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth; consuming violence of temper.

   he had fire in his temper.
   --Atterbury.

6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal.

   And bless their critic with a poet's fire.
   --Pope.

7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star.

   Stars, hide your fires.
   --Shak.

   As in a zodiac representing the heavenly fires.
   --Milton.

8. Torture by burning; severe trial or affliction.

9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were exposed to a heavy fire. Blue fire, Red fire, Green fire (Pyrotech.), compositions of various combustible substances, as sulphur, niter, lampblack, etc., the flames of which are colored by various metallic salts, as those of antimony, strontium, barium, etc. Fire alarm

   1. A signal given on the breaking out of a fire.

   2. An apparatus for giving such an alarm. Fire annihilator, a machine, device, or preparation to be kept at hand for extinguishing fire by smothering it with some incombustible vapor or gas, as carbonic acid. Fire balloon.

      1. A balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy of air heated by a fire placed in the lower part.

      2. A balloon sent up at night with fireworks which ignite at a regulated height. --Simmonds. Fire bar, a grate bar. Fire basket, a portable grate; a cresset. --Knight. Fire beetle. (Zo["o]l.) See in the Vocabulary. Fire blast, a disease of plants which causes them to appear as if burnt by fire. Fire box, the chamber of a furnace, steam boiler, etc., for the fire. Fire brick, a refractory brick, capable of sustaining intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or of siliceous material, with some cementing substance, and used for lining fire boxes, etc. Fire brigade, an organized body of men for extinguished fires. Fire bucket. See under Bucket. Fire bug, an incendiary; one who, from malice or through mania, persistently sets fire to property; a pyromaniac. Fire clay. See under Clay. Fire company, a company of men managing an engine in extinguishing fires. Fire cross. See Fiery cross. [Obs.] --Milton. Fire damp. See under Damp. Fire dog. See Firedog, in the Vocabulary. Fire drill.

         1. A series of evolutions performed by fireman for practice.

         2. An apparatus for producing fire by friction, by rapidly twirling a wooden pin in a wooden socket; -- used by the Hindoos during all historic time, and by many savage peoples. Fire eater.

            1. A juggler who pretends to eat fire.

            2. A quarrelsome person who seeks affrays; a hotspur. Fire engine, a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels, for throwing water to extinguish fire. Fire escape, a contrivance for facilitating escape from burning buildings. Fire gilding (Fine Arts), a mode of gilding with an amalgam of gold and quicksilver, the latter metal being driven off afterward by heat. Fire gilt (Fine Arts), gold laid on by the process of fire gilding. Fire insurance, the act or system of insuring against fire; also, a contract by which an insurance company undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium or small percentage -- usually made periodically -- to indemnify an owner of property from loss by fire during a specified period. Fire irons, utensils for a fireplace or grate, as tongs, poker, and shovel. Fire main, a pipe for water, to be used in putting out fire. Fire master (Mil), an artillery officer who formerly supervised the composition of fireworks. Fire office, an office at which to effect insurance against fire. Fire opal, a variety of opal giving firelike reflections. Fire ordeal, an ancient mode of trial, in which the test was the ability of the accused to handle or tread upon red-hot irons. --Abbot. Fire pan, a pan for holding or conveying fire, especially the receptacle for the priming of a gun. Fire plug, a plug or hydrant for drawing water from the main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing fires. Fire policy, the writing or instrument expressing the contract of insurance against loss by fire. Fire pot.

               1. (Mil.) A small earthen pot filled with combustibles, formerly used as a missile in war.

               2. The cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a furnace.

   3. A crucible.

   4. A solderer's furnace.

      Fire raft, a raft laden with combustibles, used for setting fire to an enemy's ships.

      Fire roll, a peculiar beat of the drum to summon men to their quarters in case of fire.

      Fire setting (Mining), the process of softening or cracking the working face of a lode, to facilitate excavation, by exposing it to the action of fire; -- now generally superseded by the use of explosives.
      --Raymond.

      Fire ship, a vessel filled with combustibles, for setting fire to an enemy's ships.

      Fire shovel, a shovel for taking up coals of fire.

      Fire stink, the stench from decomposing iron pyrites, caused by the formation of hydrogen sulfide.
      --Raymond.

      Fire surface, the surfaces of a steam boiler which are exposed to the direct heat of the fuel and the products of combustion; heating surface.

      Fire swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc.
      --Farrow.

      Fire teaser, in England, the fireman of a steam emgine.

      Fire water, a strong alcoholic beverage; -- so called by the American Indians.

      Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called Chebers, or Guebers, and among the Parsees of India.

      Greek fire. See under Greek.

      On fire, burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager; zealous.

      Running fire, the rapid discharge of firearms in succession by a line of troops.

      St. Anthony's fire, erysipelas; -- an eruptive fever which St. Anthony was supposed to cure miraculously.
      --Hoblyn.

      St. Elmo's fire. See under Saint Elmo.

      To set on fire, to inflame; to kindle.

      To take fire, to begin to burn; to fly into a passion.

prep.phr. 1 Being burned by fire. 2 (context idiomatic informal English) Achieving good results at a rapid rate.

adj. lighted up by or as by fire or flame; "forests set ablaze (or afire) by lightning"; "even the car's tires were aflame"; "a night aflare with fireworks"; "candles alight on the tables"; "blazing logs in the fireplace"; "a burning cigarette"; "a flaming crackling fire"; "houses on fire" [syn: ablaze(p), afire(p), aflame(p), aflare(p), alight(p), blazing, burning, flaming, on fire(p)]

On Fire is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Galaxie 500, released in 1989 on Rough Trade Records. It was recorded at Noise NY in New York City with Mark Kramer handling production duties. The Rolling Stone Album Guide called it Galaxie 500's "best album by far".

In 1997, Rykodisc re-released the album with three bonus tracks. The CD version of the re-issue also included the music video for the song "When Will You Come Home".

On Fire is the debut album from hip hop group Stetsasonic. The group is famous for being one of hip hop's first live bands, a style that was influential over a number of later artists such as the Roots. The album was originally released in 1986; record label Tommy Boy Records re-released it in 2001 on compact disc for the first time with three bonus tracks. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

On Fire may refer to:

The second CD released by Cape Breton's Celtic quartet, The Cottars. It was recorded at Lakewind Sound Studios in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and distributed by Warner Music. It was also released in Japan in 2004 by JVC Victor and followed by an extensive Japan tour. All the traditional songs and tunes were adapted and arranged by Allister MacGillivray and The Cottars and are published by Cabot Trail Music, SOCAN.

"On Fire" is a 2004 hit single from Lloyd Banks' debut album, The Hunger for More. It quickly became a nationwide hit and cemented Lloyd Banks' name in the Hip Hop scene. The single peaked inside the top ten in the U.S., reaching #8. The song samples "The Champ", performed by The Mohawks.

On Fire is the second full-length studio album by American rock band The Higher, released through Epitaph Records on March 6, 2007.

The album's first single was the "Insurance?", followed by the second "Dare".

On Fire is a rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. In the spring of 2003 Boston local/national indie rock favorites The Burning Paris hit a creative lull while writing the follow-up to their second release And By December You Will Know Where Your Heart Truly Lies (Magic Bullet Records) which quickly lead to the band’s untimely demise. Nate Shumaker (ex- Everdown)( Tooth&Nail) (Vox/Guitar), Josh Megyessy (guitar), and Jenny Townsend (cello) decided to forge ahead in a new band with Tom Korkidis on bass/keys (ex-Placer, ex-Alienist Outfit) and Mike Ushinski on drums (ex-Placer, ex-Barbaro) under the moniker On Fire (an homage of sorts to the acclaimed 1989 Galaxie 500 release of the same name). The five musicians began collectively composing songs, all of which made up the debut EP ‘’This Time it is Forever’’ (Magic Bullet Records). As the recording process began at Boston’s historic Q Division Studios with producer/engineer Matt Squire (who later went on to produce multi-platinum selling Panic! at the Disco) at the helm, Jenny Townsend decided to leave the band to pursue her career in teaching. Within a month a strong replacement was found in cellist Dana Feder. Long-time friend and Dopamine Records (incidentally founded by Shumaker and Megyessy) co-founder/label head Alexander Maniatis was also added at the same time to the group to provide additional synth work and samples to the live band.

On Fire was the second album by the funk band T-Connection. The album was released in 1978.

The On Fire EP is an EP by Alec Empire, released on December 7, 2007, from his album The Golden Foretaste of Heaven. It contains the title track, several remixes and all tracks from the single " Robot L.O.V.E.", previously issued on vinyl. Initially planned as a four-track digital download only release, it was also released as a ten track limited edition CD mounted on blue plexi-glass and sealed in a silver see-through plastic bag.

On Fire is an album by the Swedish stoner rock band Spiritual Beggars. It was released on November 2, 2002.

"On Fire" is a song performed by rapper Lil Wayne. The song is taken from Lil Wayne's seventh studio album Rebirth. It was released as the album's second single on December 3, 2009.

On Fire is the first studio album released by Australian Christian musician Peter Furler. It marks Furler's solo debut after his departure from Newsboys in 2009. After some date changes, the album was finally released 21 June 2011.

On Fire is the fourth album of the Italian heavy metal band Mastercastle. The lyrics of the album tell about "metals". The instrumental track "The Final Battle" is a cover of the composer Chris Hülsbeck, and the other instrumental "Almost a Fantasy" is a rock remake of the famous Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, known as the Moonlight Sonata, written by Ludwig van Beethoven

"On Fire" is a song by Swiss recording artist Stefanie Heinzmann. It was written by Joachim Persson, Audra Mae, Johan Carl Axel Alkenas, and Niclas Molinder for her fourth studio album Chance of Rain (2015), while production was helmed by production collective Electric. The song was released as the album's second single in July 2015 and has since reached the top fifty of the Swiss Singles Chart.

"On Fire" is a song recorded by Lisa Stansfield's band, Blue Zone for their 1988 album, Big Thing. It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy (known for his work with Swing Out Sister, Curiosity Killed the Cat and Was (Not Was)) and Blue Zone. "On Fire" was released as the first European and Australian single on 26 October 1987.

It included a non-album track, "Be the Sugar" written and produced by Blue Zone. "On Fire" was remixed by François Kevorkian and Michael Hutchinson. The music video was also released. Shortly after the release of the single, the King's Cross fire broke out on 18 November 1987 at King's Cross St. Pancras tube station. The fire killed thirty-one people and hundred were taken to hospital, nineteen with serious injuries. Just as the single was climbing up the charts (number ninety-nine in the United Kingdom), it was withdrawn by the record company in the UK in the wake of this disaster. In January 1988, the song peaked at number fifty-six in the Netherlands.

In 1993, the song was covered by Sonia on her album Better The Devil You Know, with the slightly longer title "Set Me On Fire".