WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
sponta′neous combus′tion, 
  1. Chemistry, Physicsthe ignition of a substance or body from the rapid oxidation of its own constituents without heat from any external source.
  • 1800–10

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
spontaneous combustion n
  1. the ignition of a substance or body as a result of internal oxidation processes, without the application of an external source of heat, occurring in finely powdered ores, coal, straw, etc
'spontaneous combustion' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
detonation - will-o'-the-wisp - autoignition - autoignition point - cacodyl - ignis fatuus - needfire

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "spontaneous combustion" in the title:


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