What does "firing" mean?

1. (shooting a weapon) the act of shooting a gun or other weapon. 2. (dismissal from a job) the act of telling someone they no longer have a job, usually because of bad work. 3. (heating pottery) the process of using high heat to make clay hard and turn it into pottery.

firing

US //ˈfaɪɝɹɪŋ// UK //fˈaɪəɹɪŋ// fir·ing

1 shooting a weapon (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of shooting a gun or other weapon.

the discharge of a firearm or other projectile weapon.

Example

The sudden firing of a gun in the distance startled the birds.

Example

The rapid firing of artillery could be heard for miles, echoing through the valley long after the initial engagement had ended.
2 dismissal from a job (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of telling someone they no longer have a job, usually because of bad work.

the termination of an individual's employment, typically due to poor performance or misconduct.

Example

After the firing of the manager, the company looked for a replacement.

Example

The sudden firing of the chief executive led to a sharp decline in the company's stock price as investors grew concerned about stability.
- hiring
- recruitment

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3 heating pottery (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Cooking

the process of using high heat to make clay hard and turn it into pottery.

the process of applying heat to ceramic materials in a kiln to achieve structural hardening or glazing.

Example

The pottery needs a second firing to make the colorful glaze shine.

Example

During the initial firing, the clay undergoes a chemical transformation that renders it permanently hard and water-resistant.
- baking
- hardening

Origin

By surface analysis, fire + -ing.

Idioms3 entries