spontaneous combustion

noun

Combustion without an external source of heat.

Similar
autocombustion
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Meanings

nounspontaneous combustion (countable and uncountable, plural spontaneous combustions)

plural spontaneous combustions

  1. countableuncountableCombustion without an external source of heat.
    1 more example

    The experiment was abandoned when one fine day spontaneous combustion of the pulverised coal in the container occurred, and a black cloud of the very finely divided fuel rose into the air by the force of the explosion, and was slowly wafted by the prevailing breeze over the town, upon which it descended with the resemblance of black snow, but with the dissimilarity that it did not melt.

    1940 May, “The Why and the Wherefore: Pulverised Fuel Experiment”, in Railway Magazine, page 318

    Synonyms: autocombustion

Synonyms & antonyms

nounCombustion without an external source of heat.

Similar
autocombustion

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 自燃
  • 自燃 (zìrán)combustion without a source of heat
Finnish itsesyttyminen
  • itsesyttyminencombustion without a source of heat
German Selbstentzündung
  • Selbstentzündungcombustion without a source of heat
Greek αυτανάφλεξη
  • αυτανάφλεξη (aftanáflexi)combustion without a source of heat
Polish samozapłon
  • samozapłoncombustion without a source of heat
Portuguese combustão espontânea
  • combustão espontâneacombustion without a source of heat
Romanian combustie spontană, autoaprindere
  • combustie spontanăcombustion without a source of heat
  • autoaprinderecombustion without a source of heat
  • autoaprinscombustion without a source of heat
Russian самовозгора́ние
  • самовозгора́ние (samovozgoránije)combustion without a source of heat
Swedish självantändning
  • självantändningcombustion without a source of heat
Tagalog kusang-liyab
  • kusang-liyabcombustion without a source of heat
Ukrainian самозайма́ння
  • самозайма́ння (samozajmánnja)combustion without a source of heat
Cite this entry
APA

spontaneous combustion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spontaneous%20combustion

MLA

“spontaneous combustion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spontaneous%20combustion. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spontaneous combustion,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spontaneous%20combustion.

Source: spontaneous combustion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.