Burning, n.
The act of consuming by fire or heat, or of subjecting to the effect of fire or heat; the state of being on fire or excessively heated. Burning fluid, any volatile illuminating oil, as the lighter petroleums (naphtha, benzine), or oil of turpentine (camphine), but esp. a mixture of the latter with alcohol. -- Burning glass, a conxex lens of considerable size, used for producing an intense heat by converging the sun's rays to a focus. -- Burning house (Metal.), the furnace in which tin ores are calcined, to sublime the sulphur and arsenic from the pyrites. Weale. -- Burning mirror, a concave mirror, or a combination of plane mirrors, used for the same purpose as a burning glass.
Syn. -- Combustion; fire; conflagration; flame; blaze.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Burning, a.
1. That burns; being on fire; excessively hot; fiery.
2. Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement; powerful; as, burning zeal. Like a young hound upon a burning scent. Dryden. Burning bush (Bot.), an ornamental shrub (Euonymus atropurpureus), bearing a crimson berry.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for burning; he lists it under eager, fire.
He lists it without comment; the entries above explain its neighbors.