fuse

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 a small wire or device inside a piece of electrical equipment that breaks and stops the current if the flow of electricity is too strong: to change a fuse * Check whether a fuse has blown. 2 a long piece of string or paper which is lit to make a bomb or a FIREWORK explode 3 (AmE also fuze) a device that makes a bomb explode when it hits sth or at a particular time: He set the fuse to three minutes. * The bombs inside were on a one-hour fuse. IDIOMS see BLOWv., SHORTn. verb 1 when one thing fuses with another, or two things fuse or are fused, they are joined together to form a single thing: [V] As they heal, the bones will fuse together. * Our different ideas fused into a plan. * The sperm fuses with the egg to begin the process of fertilization. * Their lips fused in a passionate kiss. * [VN] The two companies have been fused into a single organization. * Atoms of hydrogen are fused to make helium. 2 [V, VN] (technical) when a substance, especially metal, fuses, or you fuse it, it is heated until it melts 3 (BrE) to stop working or to make sth stop working because a fuse melts: [V] The lights have fused. * [VN] I've fused the lights. 4 [VN] [usuallypassive] to put a fuse in a CIRCUIT or in a piece of equipment: Is this plug fused?