incinerate

Everyday

1. To burn something completely until only ashes are left, especially rubbish or waste. tree →
2. (informal) To destroy completely with great heat, as with lasers in stories. tree →

In the lessons

In geography and science lessons on waste, rubbish is buried in landfill, recycled or incinerated; some incinerators make electricity. Hospitals incinerate used medical waste. In sci-fi stories, a laser incinerates an alien ship. Phrases: incinerate waste, incinerated rubbish, incinerator.

Examples

• The town incinerates its rubbish to make electricity. tree →
• Hospitals incinerate used needles safely. tree →
• The meteor was incinerated as it fell through the atmosphere. tree →
• In the film, the dragon incinerated the castle gates. tree →
• Burning plastic at home is dangerous; it should not be incinerated in a garden fire. tree →
• Garden waste is often composted rather than incinerated. tree →

Note

Noun «incineration»; machine: «incinerator». Stronger than «burn»: it means burnt completely to ash. Pronounced in-SIN-uh-rate.