# Revising Cecil's fire definition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 22, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revising-cecils-fire-definition/138193 "2002-11-22T18:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tbhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@tbhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbhill)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revising-cecils-fire-definition/138193/1 "2002-11-22T18:10:06Z")
No doubt many other readers will post a similar message, but I’ll claim the dubious honor of being the first. In Cecil’s article on “What exactily is fire?” (22 Nov 2002), he provides the following definition: “Fire is the rapid combination of oxygen with fuel in the presence of heat, typically characterized by flame, a body of incandescent gas that contains and sustains the reaction and emits light and heat.” Since he pointed out a redundancy in EB’s definition, I feel obligated to point out a redundancy in his. “Incandescent”, as Cecil pointed out, means “luminous with intense heat”. So, there is no need for the phrase “and emits light and heat.” Thus, he can shorten his definition by 5 words. There. Now I feel better. ---
**Author:** ![EEMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@EEMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EEMan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revising-cecils-fire-definition/138193/2 "2002-11-22T18:46:39Z")
tbhill… I actually started a thread early this moring making the definition 2 words longer… so I guess we could make a net change of minus 3 words…