burn off

burn off

1. To disperse or evaporate as a result of heating. Don't worry, most of the alcohol will burn off once you pour the wine into the hot pan.
2. To cause something to disperse or evaporate through heating. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "burn" and "off." The sun should hopefully burn this fog off before we're due to set sail.
3. To use fire to destroy existing vegetation. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "burn" and "off." We need to burn off the dried brush in the field before the next planting season.
4. To expend something, typically energy or calories. I need to burn off that big dinner, so I'm going to hop on the treadmill for a bit. Let the dog run around outside and burn off some energy.
See also: burn, off
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

burn something off something

 and burn something off
to cause excess volatile or flammable substance to burn until there is no more of it. We burnt the gasoline off the water's surface. Why did you burn off the gasoline?
See also: burn, off

burn off

[for some excess volatile or flammable substance] to burn away or burn up. A film of oil on the surface of the water was burning off, making dense black smoke. The alcohol burned off and left a delicious flavor in the cherries jubilee.
See also: burn, off
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

burn off

1. Dissipate by heat, as in The sun will soon burn off the morning fog.
2. Clear land by burning vegetation, as in They've decided to burn off part of the field to prepare it for another planting. This practice has long been common in many parts of the world, but the precise term dates only from the first half of the 1800s.
See also: burn, off
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • pour off
  • flare up
  • flame up
  • burn up the road
  • go for the burn
  • slip into something more comfortable
  • burn with
  • burn with (something)
  • pour on
  • hot enough to burn a polar bear's butt
References in periodicals archive
However, jumping in the pool for a vigorous 30 minutes will help burn off this quintessential Easter eat, as will a 20 minute fast-paced kettlebell class.
Work out the best way to enjoy a treat; enjoy a guilt-free easter with a little eggs-ercise! says fitness expert RUTH LYNCH
Exercise Equivalent (Cost to Burn Off the Calories): Playing tennis for 29.3 minutes
Summer barbecue goodies -- with a price
To burn off the calories contained in this meal you'd need to do 206 minutes of housework or three hours of cycling.
How many calories are in that snack? Do you know how many calories your favourite fast food contains or how much exercise you'd need to do to burn a meal off? Mairi Gordon and Thore Haugstad have the answers
"If people realized they had to do all that [exercise to burn off the calories in] a cookie, they might change their minds," Joseph Church, 14, said.
Disease detectives
Get Ripped, featuring actress, model, singer, and personal trainer Jari Love, is the introduction to an effective and fun style of workouts specifically designed to burn off excess calories, carbs, and fat.
Get Ripped
Atkins Accel "enhances fat loss" and contains "clinically tested levels of polyphenols and caffeine" to help burn off calories, according to the company's Web site (atkins.com/shop/products/Atkins_Accel.html).
One test, 80 calories
Deciding what to wear might seem a pointless exercise to others but the usual struggle to find the right outfit can burn off a bit of energy.
Christmas trimmings; WEIGH TO GO-HO-HO
At temperatures above 300C, the resin binders started melting and subsequently began to burn off. When the resin binders completely burned off at 360C (680F), the contraction process stopped, and the sand grains, free of resin binders, started to expand.
Discovering hot distortion properties in PUCB cores
This system is said to save customers time and money when using the company's burn off oven to strip rubber from metal.
Rubber stripping oven
An hour of making beds earns you 135 calories, an hour washing and cleaning your car is worth 330 and half an hour cleaning your windows can burn off 250 calories.
SHOPPING; Forget the gym - get in great shape the easy way
Harper, a University of Ottawa researcher, was able to show that the fast weight-losers had protein switches that could make the cells burn off energy faster, while the slower weight-losers didn't have effective switches.
Fat-burning 'turbocharger' discovered. (News Briefs)
"Initially, we tried a lot of things," recalls Hymie, who notes they experimented with an oven to burn off the upholstery from shredded pieces.
A better idea: the decline in quality of number two auto bundles spurred the thought process that led to today's auto shredders
The material works at the high temperatures of the lime kiln without the problems caused when oil-based lubricants burn off or plastics fail.
Graphite Alloy solves bearing failure problem at G-P pulp mill
The borrower accepted a recourse provision that will burn off after the cash flow increases enough to make the loan's debt service coverage.
Stuart Bruck of Time Equities, Inc
Instead she and hunky Steve burn off all their calories in BED.
LUCY'S UNDIE COVER LOVE!; pounds 650 thriller bill to keep Steve happy