fuse
fuse Lexical Profile
fuse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A safety device consisting of a strip of wire that melts and breaks an electric circuit if the current exceeds a safe level.
"When the toaster and microwave ran at the same time, they blew a fuse in the kitchen circuit."
A length of combustible cord or material lit to convey flame and detonate an explosive device or firework after a delay.
"The pyrotechnician carefully checked the length of the fuse before preparing the holiday fireworks display."
• verb
To join, blend, or coalesce physically or figuratively to form a single entity.
"The composer managed to fuse traditional folk melodies with modern orchestral arrangements."
To melt or join a material or object by the application of intense heat.
"The glassblower used a high-temperature torch to fuse the two colored glass rods together."
British To stop working or cause an electrical circuit or appliance to stop working because a fuse has melted.
"All the lights in the hallway fused when water leaked into the outdoor socket."
Word Nuance & Usage
In technical military contexts, the mechanical or electronic device that detonates a bomb or shell is often spelled 'fuze', whereas 'fuse' is the standard spelling for electrical safety devices, combustible cords, and the verb meaning to meld.
• Rhymes for fuse
Word Origin & Etymology
The verb and electrical noun derive from Latin 'fusus', the past participle of 'fundere' ('to pour' or 'to melt'). The noun denoting an igniting cord comes via Italian 'fuso' from Latin 'fusus' ('spindle'), referring to its original spindle-like tube shape.