deflagrate, v. Physics.
(ˈdɛfləgreɪt)
[f. L. dēflagrāt-, ppl. stem of dēflagrāre to burn away, burn up, consume, f. de- I. 3 + flagrāre to burn.]
1. trans. To cause to burn away with sudden evolution of flame and rapid, sharp combustion (e.g. a mixture of charcoal and nitre thrown into a red-hot crucible).
| 1727 Bailey vol. II, Deflagrate, to inkindle and burn off in a Crucible a Mixture of Salt or some mineral Body with a Sulphureous one. 1794 J. Hutton Philos. Light, etc. 208 When coal is deflagrated with nitre. 1876 S. Kens. Mus. Catal. No. 1369 The spark from this battery deflagrates a platinum wire a foot long. |
2. intr. To burst into flame and burn away rapidly.
| 1750 Phil. Trans. XLVI. 449 Neither these, nor those of Cheltenham, will deflagrate or flash in Touch-Paper, nor on burning Charcoal, as true Nitre will do. 1794 G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. II. xx. 376 Such a degree of heat as would cause the nitre to deflagrate. 1803 Edin. Rev. III. 25 Let a drop of water be projected upon this liquor..it instantly deflagrates with a slight explosion. 1876 Harley Mat. Med. 161 When thrown on the fire it deflagrates. |
Hence ˈdeflagrated, ˈdeflagrating ppl. adjs.
| 1766 T. Amory Buncle (1770) IV. 93 The deflagrating nitre consumes the sulphur of the antimony. 1788 Keir in Phil. Trans. LXXVIII. 327 Giving a deflagrating quality to paper soaked in this liquor. 1822 Faraday Exp. Res. xvi. 78 A black residuum is left..which..when heated..is found to be deflagrating. 1831 T. P. Jones Convers. Chem. xxii. 229 The deflagrated charcoal. |