Definition of "combust" [com•bust]

• To catch fire; burst into flame: The fire started when a pile of oily rags spontaneously combusted. (verb-intransitive)
• To undergo combustion; burn: As the fuels were combusting they gave off noxious vapors. (verb-intransitive)
• To become suddenly angry or agitated: The defendant combusted when he heard the verdict. (verb-intransitive)
• To cause to burn; ignite. (verb-transitive)
• To cause to become angry or violent: riots that are combusting whole provinces. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The heat necessary to combust is created by the high compression ratio."
• "Now, Eugene, wouldn’t it be much more fun for us to sit back and wait for it to spontaneously combust from the flammable gases?"
• "If a pile rises to 160 degrees or more it could spontaneously combust, which is why the zoo is acquiring a thermometer to measure internal temperature of its manure piles."