Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Burn \Burn\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burned} (?) or {Burnt} (?); p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Burning}.] [OE. bernen, brennen, v. t., early
   confused with beornen, birnen, v. i., AS. b[ae]rnan, bernan,
   v. t., birnan, v. i.; akin to OS. brinnan, OFries. barna,
   berna, OHG. brinnan, brennan, G. brennen, OD. bernen, D.
   branden, Dan. br[ae]nde, Sw. br["a]nna, brinna, Icel. brenna,
   Goth. brinnan, brannjan (in comp.), and possibly to E.
   fervent.]
   1. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of
      heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn
      up wood. ``We'll burn his body in the holy place.''
      --Shak.

   2. To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some
      property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or
      heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char;
      to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face
      in the sun; the sun burns the grass.

   3. To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the
      action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to
      destroy or change some property or properties of, by
      exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a
      desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn
      clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to
      produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime.

   4. To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the
      application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn
      charcoal; to burn letters into a block.

   5. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by
      action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does;
      as, to burn the mouth with pepper.

            This tyrant fever burns me up.        --Shak.

            This dry sorrow burns up all my tears. --Dryden.

            When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth
            the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and
            consumeth the grass as fire.          --Ecclus.
                                                  xliii. 20, 21.

   6. (Surg.) To apply a cautery to; to cauterize.

   7. (Chem.) To cause to combine with oxygen or other active
      agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as,
      a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each
      respiration; to burn iron in oxygen.

   {To burn}, {To burn together}, as two surfaces of metal
      (Engin.), to fuse and unite them by pouring over them a
      quantity of the same metal in a liquid state.

   {To burn a bowl} (Game of Bowls), to displace it
      accidentally, the bowl so displaced being said to be
      burned.

   {To burn daylight}, to light candles before it is dark; to
      waste time; to perform superfluous actions. --Shak.

   {To burn one's fingers}, to get one's self into unexpected
      trouble, as by interfering the concerns of others,
      speculation, etc.

   {To burn out}, to destroy or obliterate by burning. ``Must
      you with hot irons burn out mine eyes?'' --Shak.

   {To be burned out}, to suffer loss by fire, as the burning of
      one's house, store, or shop, with the contents.

   {To burn up}, {To burn down}, to burn entirely.

Burnt \Burnt\, p. p. & a.
   Consumed with, or as with, fire; scorched or dried, as with
   fire or heat; baked or hardened in the fire or the sun.

   {Burnt ear}, a black, powdery fungus which destroys grain.
      See {Smut}.

   {Burnt offering}, something offered and burnt on an altar, as
      an atonement for sin; a sacrifice. The offerings of the
      Jews were a clean animal, as an ox, a calf, a goat, or a
      sheep; or some vegetable substance, as bread, or ears of
      wheat or barley. Called also {burnt sacrifice}. --[2 Sam.
      xxiv. 22.]

Source : WordNet®

burn
     n 1: pain that feels hot as if it were on fire [syn: {burning}]
     2: a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays
        of the sun [syn: {tan}, {suntan}, {sunburn}]
     3: an injury cause by exposure to heat or chemicals or
        radiation
     4: a burned place or area [syn: {burn mark}]
     5: damage inflicted by burning
     [also: {burnt}]

burn
     v 1: destroy by fire; "They burned the house and his diaries"
          [syn: {fire}, {burn down}]
     2: shine intensely, as if with heat; "The coals were glowing in
        the dark"; "The candles were burning" [syn: {glow}]
     3: undergo combustion; "Maple wood burns well" [syn: {combust}]
     4: cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort; "The sun
        burned his face" [syn: {bite}, {sting}]
     5: cause to burn or combust; "The sun burned off the fog"; "We
        combust coal and other fossil fuels" [syn: {combust}]
     6: feel strong emotion, especially anger or passion; "She was
        burning with anger"; "He was burning to try out his new
        skies"
     7: cause to undergo combustion; "burn garbage"; "The car burns
        only Diesel oil" [syn: {incinerate}]
     8: burn at the stake; "Witches were burned in Salem"
     9: spend (significant amounts of money); "He has money to burn"
     10: feel hot or painful; "My eyes are burning"
     11: burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric
         current or a caustic agent; "The surgeon cauterized the
         wart" [syn: {cauterize}, {cauterise}]
     12: get a sunburn by overexposure to the sun [syn: {sunburn}]
     13: create by duplicating data; "cut a disk"; "burn a CD" [syn:
         {cut}]
     14: use up (energy); "burn off calories through vigorous
         exercise" [syn: {burn off}, {burn up}]
     15: burn with heat, fire, or radiation; "The iron burnt a hole
         in my dress"
     [also: {burnt}]

burnt
     adj 1: ruined by overcooking; "she served us underdone bacon and
            burnt buscuits" [syn: {burned}]
     2: having undergone oxidation; "burned powder" [syn: {burned}]
        [ant: {unburned}]
     3: treated by heating to a high temperature but below the
        melting or fusing point; "burnt sienna" [syn: {burned}]
     4: hardened by subjecting to intense heat; "baked bricks";
        "burned bricks" [syn: {baked}, {burned}]
     5: destroyed or badly damaged by fire; "a row of burned
        houses"; "a charred bit of burnt wood"; "barricaded the
        street with burnt-out cars" [syn: {burned}, {burned-out},
        {burnt-out}]

burnt
     See {burn}