The verb or verb-stem in composition forming sbs. or adjs.
1. With verb + object, as burn-grain adj.; † burn-cow, transl. Gr. βούπρηστις (an insect, also a herb, injurious to cattle), cf. burst-cow, BUPRESTIS; burn-grange (Sc.), one who sets fire to barns; burn-the-wind, burnewin, a Sc. designation for a blacksmith.
1658. Rowland, trans. Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 1000. The Latines retain the Greek name of Buprestis.… But I … do adventure to call it by a new name in English, *Burncow, or Burstcow.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), II. Also a sort of herb which kills cattle; the burncow.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. Furies, 165 (D.). Turning our seed-wheat-kernel To *burn-grain thistle.
a. 1500. Colkelbie Sow, i. V. 92 (Jam.). Ane ypocreit in haly kirk, A *burn-grenge in the dirk.
1785. Burns, Scotch Drink, x. Then *Burnewin comes on like death.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, I. ii. 57. Thou hast had a quarrel with some Edinburgh Burn-the-wind.
2. With the verb used attrib. = burning; as † burn-coal, † -wood; also burn-fire (dial.), perversion of BONFIRE; burn-iron, Sc. burn-airn, a branding-iron; burn-stick (see quot.); burn-weed = THORN-APPLE, Datura stramonium.
1708. W. King, Cookery, 37. Not to make his *burnfire at the upper end of Ludgate street.
c. 1750. J. Nelson, Jrnl. (1836), 96. Monday being a rejoicing day, they had burn-fires in the market place.
1597. Sc. Acts, Jas. VI., § 253 (title), Great *burne Coale, suld not be transported furth of this realm.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 152. Burne coalis.
1485. Inv., in Ripon Ch. Acts, 373. Ij *birne iron et j markyng iron 4d.
1675. Cotton, Poet. Wks. (1765), 202. I’ll make a *Burn-mark with a T.
1847–78. Halliwell, Dict., *Burn-stick, a crooked stick, on which a large piece of coal is daily carried from the pit by each working collier over his shoulder for his own private use.
1756. P. Browne, Jamaica, 167. The Thorn-apple or *Burn-weed…. All the parts of this plant are remarkably narcotic.
1701. J. Brand, Descr. Orkney, Zetl., etc. (1703), 93 (Jam.). Ships being cast away upon them, the Inhabitants make use of the Wrack for *Burn-wood.
