Incinerate
/ɪnˈsɪn.ə.reɪt/noun
To burn something completely to ashes.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin incinerare, built from cinis meaning “ashes,” so its core image is not just burning, but turning matter into ash, the residue of destruction and sacrifice.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
incinerare
“to reduce to ashes; to burn to ash”
Classical Latin
Latin
cinis
“ashes, especially the remains of a fire”
Late Latin
Latin
incineratus
“reduced to ashes; burned up”
16th Century
English
incinerate
“to burn to ashes”