arson

plural arsons

1. uncountableusuallyThe crime of deliberately starting a fire with intent to cause damage.

   carry out an arson attack

   2 more examples

   Arson, like we thought. three punks doused a car, lit it, and took off.

   2006, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Killer Smile, Part two, p.34

   The motive for the fires is still under investigation, and federal officials are looking into whether a hate crime was committed. Matthews is charged with three counts of simple arson on a religious building.

   2019 April 12, Paul P. Murphy and Samira Said, “Louisiana arson suspect expressed disgust with Baptist churches on Facebook”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Nov 2021

present singular third person arsons · participle present arsoning · participle past arsoned · past arsoned

1. IndiatransitiveTo illegally set fire to; to burn down in a criminal manner.

plural arsons

1. obsoleteA saddlebow.

   Arcione, the arſon or ſaddle bowe.

   1598, John Florio, “Arcione”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC, page 25, column 1

   2 more examples

   The kyng of Englande mounted on a freſhe courſer, the trapper of clothe of golde, of Tiſſue, the Arſon mantell wiſe[…]

   1550, Edward Halle, “The xij. yere of King Henry the viij.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illuſtre Famelies of Lancaſtre and Yoꝛke, folio 78, recto

   […]And putting vp good ſtore of gold and Iewels for that iourney, and taking with him a good horſe, that was browne Bay, with a Petronell hanging at the arſon of his Saddle[…]

   1634, Matheo Aleman, “Wherein Guzman de Alfarache relateth the Story of thoſe two Louers, Ozmin and Daraxa”, in Don Diego Puede-Ser, transl., The rogue: or The life of Guzman de Alfarache, volume 1, pages 68–69