fuse

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

fuse, v. t. [L. fusus, p. p. of fundere to pour, melt, cast. See Foundo to cast, and cf. Futile.].

•  To liquefy by heat; to render fluid; to dissolve; to melt.  [1913 Webster]
•  To unite or blend, as if melted together.  [1913 Webster]

  "Whose fancy fuses old and new."  [1913 Webster]

fuse, v. i. 

•  To be reduced from a solid to a fluid state by heat; to be melted; to melt.  [1913 Webster]
•  To be blended, as if melted together.  [1913 Webster]

Fusing point, the degree of temperature at which a substance melts; the point of fusion; the melting point.

fuse, n. [For fusee, fusil. See 2d Fusil.].

•  A tube or casing filled with combustible matter, by means of which a charge of powder is ignited, as in blasting; -- called also fuzee. See Fuze.  [1913 Webster]
•  a mechanism in a bomb, torpedo, rocket, or artillery shell, usually having an easily detonated explosive charge and activated by the shock of impact, which detonates the main explosive charge. Some fuses may have timing mechanisms, delaying the explosion for a short time, or up to several days after impact. Fuses activated by other mechanisms more sophisticated than impact, such as proximity or heat, are used in modern weapons such as antiaircraft or antimissile missiles.  [PJC]

Fuse hole, the hole in a shell prepared for the reception of the fuse. Farrow.

fuse, n. 

 A wire, bar, or strip of fusible metal inserted for safety in an electric circuit. When the current increases beyond a certain safe strength, the metal melts, interrupting the circuit and thereby preventing possibility of damage. It serves the same function as a circuit breaker.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

fuse, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. melt with intense heat; liquefy.
2 tr. & intr. blend or amalgamate into one whole by or as by melting.
3 tr. provide (a circuit, plug, etc.) with a fuse.
4 a intr. (of an appliance) cease to function when a fuse blows. b tr. cause (an appliance) to do this.
--n. a device or component for protecting an electric circuit, containing a strip of wire of easily melted metal and placed in the circuit so as to break it by melting when an excessive current passes through.

Idiom

fuse-box a box housing the fuses for circuits in a building.

fuse, n. & v. (also fuze)
--n.
1 a device for igniting a bomb or explosive charge, consisting of a tube or cord etc. filled or saturated with combustible matter.
2 a component in a shell, mine, etc., designed to detonate an explosive charge on impact, after an interval, or when subjected to a magnetic or vibratory stimulation.
--v.tr. fit a fuse to.

Derivative

fuseless adj.

Etymology

It. fuso f. L fusus spindle

THESAURUS

fuse

act in concert, act together, add, admix, aegis, affiliate, agglutinate, alloy, ally, amalgamate, arm guard, assemble, assimilate, associate, backstop, band, band together, be in league, bemingle, bind, blasting cap, blend, braze, buffer, bulwark, bumper, bunch, bunch up, cap, cement, clot, club together, cluster, coact, coalesce, collaborate, collect, colliquate, collude, combine, come together, commingle, commix, compact, compose, compound, comprise, concert, concoct, concord, concur, confederate, conglomerate, congregate, connect, consolidate, conspire, contraceptive, converge, cooperate, copulate, copyright, couple, crash helmet, crowd, cushion, cut, dashboard, date, decoagulate, decoct, defrost, deliquesce, detonating powder, detonator, dissolve, do business with, dodger, electric detonator, embody, emulsify, encompass, exploder, face mask, federate, fender, finger guard, flock together, flow together, fluidify, fluidize, flux, foot guard, forgather, fulminating mercury, gang around, gang up, gather, gather around, get heads together, get together, glue, go partners, goggles, governor, guard, guardrail, gum, hand guard, handrail, hang together, hard hat, harmonize, hash, helmet, herd together, hive, hold in solution, hold together, homogenize, hook up, horde, huddle, identify, immingle, immix, include, incorporate, infuse, insulation, integrate, interblend, interfuse, interlace, interlard, interlock, intermingle, intermix, intertwine, interweave, join, join in, join together, jumble, keep together, knead, knee guard, knuckle guard, laminated glass, leach, league, league together, life preserver, lifeline, lightning conductor, lightning rod, link, liquefy, liquesce, liquidize, lixiviate, lump together, make common cause, make one, mask, mass, meet, meld, melt, melt down, melt into one, mercury fulminate, merge, mill, mingle, mingle-mangle, mix, mix up, mudguard, muster, nose guard, pad, padding, palladium, partner, paste, patent, percolate, percussion cap, pilot, play ball, preventive, primacord, primer, priming, prophylactic, protective clothing, protective umbrella, pull together, put heads together, put together, rally, rally around, reciprocate, reembody, refine, render, rendezvous, roll into one, run, safeguard, safety, safety glass, safety plug, safety rail, safety shoes, safety switch, safety valve, scramble, screen, seat belt, seethe, shade into, shield, shin guard, shuffle, smelt, solder, solidify, solubilize, solve, squib, stand together, stick together, stir up, stream, sun helmet, surge, swarm, syncretize, syndicate, synthesize, team up, thaw, thin, throng, throw in together, throw together, tie in, tie up, toss together, umbrella, unclot, unfreeze, unify, unite, unite efforts, weld, windscreen, windshield, work, work together

ROGET THESAURUS

fuse

Combination

VB combine, unite, incorporate, amalgamate, embody, absorb, reembody, blend, merge, fuse, melt into one, consolidate, coalesce, centralize, impregnate, put together, lump together, cement a union, marry.

Calefaction

VB heat, warm, chafe, stive, foment, make hot, sun oneself, sunbathe, go up in flames, burn to the ground (flame), fire, set fire to, set on fire, kindle, enkindle, light, ignite, strike a light, apply the match to, apply the torch to, rekindle, relume, fan the flame, add fuel to the flame, poke the fire, stir the fire, blow the fire, make a bonfire of, melt, thaw, fuse, liquefy, burn, inflame, roast, toast, fry, grill, singe, parch, bake, torrefy, scorch, brand, cauterize, sear, burn in, corrode, char, calcine, incinerate, smelt, scorify, reduce to ashes, burn to a cinder, commit to the flames, consign to the flames, boil, digest, stew, cook, seethe, scald, parboil, simmer, do to rags, take fire, catch fire, blaze.

Fuel

N fuel, firing, combustible, coal, wallsend, anthracite, culm, coke, carbon, charcoal, bituminous coal, tar shale, turf, peat, firewood, bobbing, faggot, log, cinder, ingle, tinder, touchwood, sulphur, brimstone, incense, port-fire, fire-barrel, fireball, brand, amadou, bavin, blind coal, glance coal, German tinder, pyrotechnic sponge, punk, smudge, solid fueled rocket, wax, paraffin wax, paraffin oil, lamp oil, whale oil, oil, petroleum, gasoline, high octane gasoline, nitromethane, petrol, gas, juice, gasohol, alcohol, ethanol, methanol, fuel oil, kerosene, jet fuel, heating oil, number 2 oil, number 4 oil, naphtha, rocket fuel, high specific impulse fuel, liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, lox, natural gas, synthetic gas, synthesis gas, propane, butane, hydrogen, brand, torch, fuse, wick, spill, match, light, lucifer, congreve, vesuvian, vesta, fusee, locofoco, linstock, candle, oil, carbonaceous, combustible, inflammable, high octane, high specific impulse, heat of combustion.