26984 words

fuses

11 definitions • 17 examples
1
a small safety part in an electrical device or piece of machinery that causes it to stop working if the electric current is too high, and so prevents fires or other dangers:

Examples:

blow a fuse My hairdryer's stopped working - I think the fuse has blown (= broken).
change a fuse Have you tried changing the fuse?
2
a string or piece of paper connected to a firework or other explosive product by which it is lit, or a device inside a bomb that causes it to explode after a fixed length of time or when it hits or is near something:

Examples:

light a fuse He lit the fuse and ran.
3
to join together physically, or to join things together physically:

Examples:

Genes determine how we develop from the moment the sperm fuses with the egg.
The bones of the skull are not properly fused at birth.
Fusing the vertebrae together seemed to be her only option.
4
(of ideas, cultures, musical styles, etc.) to combine or be combined together :

Examples:

In Istanbul, East and West fuse together in a way that is fascinating to observe.
He developed a sound that fuses jazz, funk, disco, and soul.
5
to melt or make two things melt together, especially at a high temperature:

Examples:

The heat of the fire fused many of the machine's parts together.
6
When an electrical device or piece of machinery fuses, or when someone or something fuses it, it stops working because the electric current is too high:

Examples:

Either my headlights have fused or the bulbs have gone.
The kids were messing around with the switches and they fused the lights.
7
to put a device inside a bomb that causes it to explode after a fixed length of time or when it hits or is near something:

Examples:

They discovered a World War II 250-pound fused bomb.
8
a safety device for protecting an electrical system which contains a material that will melt if too much electricity passes through the system
9
a cord or tube along which a flame moves to light fireworks or bomb, or a device inside a bomb that causes it to explode at a particular time or when it hits something
10
to join or become combined, or to cause things to join:

Examples:

[ I ] The two cells are fused with a jolt of electricity.
[ T ] The heat of the fire fused many of the machine’s parts together.
11
to join together to form one thing, or to make something do this:

Examples:

The merger would fuse three companies that together employ 3,500 people.
fuse into sth The municipalities may even, in the future, fuse into a single city.

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