combustion
n. uncountablen. the process of burning something. It happens when a substance reacts with oxygen to produce heat and light.
n. the chemical process of oxidation that occurs rapidly enough to produce heat and light. Often used in technical contexts to describe the ignition of fuel within an engine.
Oxygen is necessary for combustion to occur.
The internal combustion engine changed the world by allowing vehicles to travel long distances using liquid fuel.
Spontaneous combustion remains a rare phenomenon where a substance ignites without an external heat source due to internal chemical reactions.
From Old French combustion, from Latin combustio, from comburere (“to burn”), itself from the intensifying prefix com- + the root burere (a faulty sep. of amburere "to burn around", itself from ambi- + urere "to burn, singe"); equivalent to combust + -ion.
Uncountable in its general scientific sense; can be used as a modifier in compound nouns like 'combustion chamber'.