Set something on fire or caused something to start burning.
From Latin 'ignis' meaning 'fire,' with the prefix 'in-' giving us 'ignite.' The verb form with '-ed' indicates past tense, and this ancient root appears in many fire-related words like 'igneous' rock.
The word 'ignite' comes from the same Latin root 'ignis' as 'igneous,' which is why igneous rocks are the ones formed directly from molten lava—they're the rocks 'born from fire' in the most literal sense.
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