51Թ

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View synonyms for

fuse

1

[fyooz]

noun

  1. a tube, cord, or the like, filled or saturated with combustible matter, for igniting an explosive.

  2. fuze.



verb (used with object)

fused, fusing 
  1. fuze.

fuse

2

[fyooz]

noun

  1. Electricity.a protective device, used in an electric circuit, containing a conductor that melts under heat produced by an excess current, thereby opening the circuit.

verb (used with object)

fused, fusing 
  1. to combine or blend by melting together; melt.

  2. to unite or blend into a whole, as if by melting together.

    The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.

verb (used without object)

fused, fusing 
  1. to become liquid under the action of heat; melt.

    At a relatively low temperature the metal will fuse.

  2. to become united or blended.

    The two groups fused to create one strong union.

  3. Chiefly British.to overload an electric circuit so as to burn out a fuse.

fuse

1

/ ː /

noun

  1. a lead of combustible black powder in a waterproof covering ( safety fuse ), or a lead containing an explosive ( detonating fuse ), used to fire an explosive charge

  2. any device by which an explosive charge is ignited

  3. See blow 1

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to provide or equip with such a fuse

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fuse

2

/ ː /

verb

  1. to unite or become united by melting, esp by the action of heat

    to fuse borax and copper sulphate at a high temperature

  2. to become or cause to become liquid, esp by the action of heat; melt

  3. to join or become combined; integrate

  4. (tr) to equip (an electric circuit, plug, etc) with a fuse

  5. to fail or cause to fail as a result of the blowing of a fuse

    the lights fused

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a protective device for safeguarding electric circuits, etc, containing a wire that melts and breaks the circuit when the current exceeds a certain value

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fuse

  1. A safety device that protects an electric circuit from becoming overloaded. Fuses contain a length of thin wire (usually of a metal alloy) that melts and breaks the circuit if too much current flows through it. They were traditionally used to protect electronic equipment and prevent fires, but have largely been replaced by circuit breakers.

  2. A cord of readily combustible material that is lighted at one end to carry a flame along its length to detonate an explosive at the other end.

  1. To melt something, such as metal or glass, by heating.

  2. To blend two or more substances by melting.

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Other 51Թ Forms

  • fuseless adjective
  • fuselike adjective
  • ˈڳܲ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of fuse1

First recorded in 1640–50; from Italian fuso, from Latin ūܲ “spindle” (i.e., a spindle-shaped tube filled with combustible matter)

Origin of fuse2

First recorded in 1675–85 for the verb; from Latin ūܲ “melted, poured, cast,” past participle of fundere
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of fuse1

C17: from Italian fuso spindle, from Latin ūܲ

Origin of fuse2

C17: from Latin ūܲ melted, cast, poured out, from fundere to pour out, shed; sense 5 influenced by fuse 1
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. have a short fuse, to anger easily; have a quick temper.

  2. blow a fuse, to lose one's temper; become enraged.

    If I'm late again, they'll blow a fuse.

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Synonym Study

See melt 1.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He and Spice Girl wife Victoria created Brand Beckham - fusing fame, fashion and football to redefine modern stardom.

From

Combining elements of musicals, horror and period drama, the movie fuses vampire lore with meticulous historic research about that time and place in America.

From

"The fuse is lit and if he wins again, he may not stop."

From

They're an Albanian duo living in Italy, who fuse the ethnic music of their hometown, Shkodër, to a progressive electronic sound.

From

The historian Rashid Khalidi, a New York-born Palestinian whose family members were expelled from Jerusalem by the British in the 1930s, says the US and Israel were fused together in part by shared cultural connections.

From

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When To Use

What is a basic definition of fuse?

Fuse means to unite or blend together. Fuse also refers to a protective device in an electrical current and to a tube or cord used to light explosives.Fuse is used in metalworking and similar industries to refer to combining metals by melting them down into liquids. In everyday use, fuse is used figuratively to mean to combine or unite anything as if they were melted together. For example, a band might fuse metal and electronic music to make a unique sound. Something that has been made by fusing things together is called a fusion.



  • Real-life examples: Copper scraps can be fused together to make wires. Science fiction often fuses real science with fictional ideas. A mad scientist might fuse animals together to make monsters.


  • Used in a sentence: The two kingdoms fused together to create a powerful nation. 


As a noun, fuse refers to a safety device designed to protect electrical equipment from melting or catching on fire. A fuse usually resembles a small rod or wire that is designed to melt from the heat of an electrical current that is moving too fast. Once the fuse melts, the electrical circuit is broken. This stops the current from moving and protects the more expensive or dangerous equipment from melting or catching on fire.Fuses are an extremely common safety device (alongside circuit breakers) and are usually kept in a fuse box located in a remote part of a house or building. The phrase blow a fuse comes from this sense of fuse.



  • Real-life examples: Your house may have a fuse box that you can open to replace damaged fuses. Electronic devices such as televisions and computers almost always have fuses to prevent fires or explosions caused by electricity.


  • Used in a sentence: The computer technician had to replace several blown fuses in the motherboard.  


The word fuse also refers to a cord, wire, rope, or similar object that is lit on fire in order to ignite an explosive. The purpose of a fuse is to delay an explosion.



  • Real-life examples: Almost all fireworks have fuses to prevent them from exploding immediately, such as in a person’s hand. An explosive weapon such as a bomb might have a fuse so the user can run away before it explodes. Explosives used in manufacturing or mining, such as dynamite, may also have fuses for the same reason.


  • Used in a sentence: She lit the fuse of the giant firecracker. 


Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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