v. Obs. [ad. OF. comburir (also in Pr.), ad. L. combūr-ĕre to burn up, consume.
The inflection of combūrĕre is precisely like that of ūrĕre to burn, with its compounds ambūrĕre, adūrĕre, exūrĕre, etc., and it takes the place of a *com-ūrĕre; but the difficulty of accounting for comb- as a variety of the prefix has suggested a parallel radical *būrĕre, whence prob. bustum.]
1. trans. To bum up, consume by fire.
1570. Sempill Ballates (1872), 92. Thay Bouchers thy Father did combure.
1597. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 970. Thy furious flaming fyre, Quhilk dois thy bailfull briest combuir.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 9/2. Combure the same to ashes. Ibid., 25/1. Take … Castoreum, of the weight of the combured swallowes.
1613. R. C., Table Alph. (ed. 3), Combure, burne, or consume with fire.
2. intr. (for refl.)
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 52/1. Let it combure, till of it selfe it extinguishe.
