Combustion is the process of burning something, usually when a fuel reacts quickly with oxygen and releases heat and light. It can also be used figuratively for intense activity or emotion.
From Latin *combustio* “a burning,” from *comburere* “to burn up,” from *com-* “together” + *urere* “to burn.” The idea is of burning something completely or thoroughly.
Every candle, car engine, and campfire is a controlled tiny explosion of combustion. What looks like a simple flame is actually billions of molecules rapidly rearranging and releasing stored energy as heat and light.
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