To burn one's fingers

Burn Burn (b[^u]rn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burned} (b[^u]rnd) or {Burnt} (b[^u]rnt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Burning}.] [OE. bernen, brennen, v. t., early confused with beornen, birnen, v. i., AS. b[ae]rnan, bernan, v. t., birnan, v. i.; akin to OS. brinnan, OFries. barna, berna, OHG. brinnan, brennan, G. brennen, OD. bernen, D. branden, Dan. br[ae]nde, Sw. br["a]nna, brinna, Icel. brenna, Goth. brinnan, brannjan (in comp.), and possibly to E. fervent.] 1. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn up wood. ``We'll burn his body in the holy place.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char; to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face in the sun; the sun burns the grass. [1913 Webster]

3. To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to destroy or change some property or properties of, by exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime. [1913 Webster]

4. To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn charcoal; to burn letters into a block. [1913 Webster]

5. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does; as, to burn the mouth with pepper. [1913 Webster]

This tyrant fever burns me up. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

This dry sorrow burns up all my tears. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the ??ass as fire. --Ecclus. xliii. 20, 21. [1913 Webster]

6. (Surg.) To apply a cautery to; to cauterize. [1913 Webster]

7. (Chem.) To cause to combine with oxygen or other active agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as, a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each respiration; to burn iron in oxygen. [1913 Webster]

{To burn}, {To burn together}, as two surfaces of metal (Engin.), to fuse and unite them by pouring over them a quantity of the same metal in a liquid state.

{To burn a bowl} (Game of Bowls), to displace it accidentally, the bowl so displaced being said to be burned.

{To burn daylight}, to light candles before it is dark; to waste time; to perform superfluous actions. --Shak.

{To burn one's fingers}, to get one's self into unexpected trouble, as by interfering the concerns of others, speculation, etc.

{To burn out}, (a) to destroy or obliterate by burning. ``Must you with hot irons burn out mine eyes?'' --Shak. (b) to force (people) to flee by burning their homes or places of business; as, the rioters burned out the Chinese businessmen.

{To be burned out}, to suffer loss by fire, as the burning of one's house, store, or shop, with the contents.

{To burn up}, {To burn down}, to burn entirely. [1913 Webster]