spontaneous combustion

noun

1. the ignition of a substance or body from the rapid oxidation of its own constituents without heat from any external source.

spontaneous combustion

noun

1. the ignition of a substance or body as a result of internal oxidation processes, without the application of an external source of heat, occurring in finely powdered ores, coal, straw, etc

spontaneous combustion

1. The bursting into flame of a mass of material as a result of chemical reactions within the substance, without the addition of heat from an external source. Oily rags and damp hay, for example, are subject to spontaneous combustion.

spontaneous combustion

1. A process by which a collection of materials (such as oily rags) catches fire without the application of heat from outside. The oxidation of substances in the materials starts the fire.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spontaneous combustion¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

Playwright Alan Ayckbourn, who directed Gambon in his Olivier Award-winning performance in “A View From the Bridge,” accurately eulogized his acting as a form of “spontaneous combustion.”

From Los Angeles Times

Each is internet famous, with Golden Boy's powers of spontaneous combustion and superstrength placing him on track to join The Seven right after he graduates.

From Salon

But Vaillant also characterizes the wildfire as a “regional apocalypse” and imminent flashover—the point of spontaneous combustion in an enclosed space—as “a malevolent entity from another dimension breaking through to this one.”

From Scientific American

This can happen for reasons ranging from spontaneous combustion to human irresponsibility.

From Salon

"The pit was used as a trash dump. One theory is that spontaneous combustion caught garbage on fire, which ignited an outcropping of coal. Another is that a controlled burn of the garbage ignited the coal. Others recall an earlier mine fire in the area and think the coal fire ignited the garbage. We'll never know for sure what started it."

From Salon