Word of the day – fuego

Fuego is a Spanish word meaning fire which comes from the Latin word for heart – focus. Other meanings of fuego include (gas) burner; (electric) plate; hot plate; flame; heat; beacon; light; a rash; home; hearth; ardour and passion. So it’s quite a useful word.

Here are some examples of usage:

• la paella se prepara a fuego lento – Paella is cooked over a low heat
• hervir a fuego lento – to simmer
• pegar / prender fuego a – to set fire to
• apagar el fugeo – to put out the fire
• apagarfuegos – fire fighter / fire extinguisher
• echar fuego por los ojos – to glare, look daggers
• fuegos artificiales – fireworks (articial fires)
• ¿tienes fuego? – do you have a light?
• abrir / romper el fuego – to open fire
• ¡alto el fuego! – cease fire!
• un pueblo de 50 fuegos – a village of 50 houses / families
• apagar los fuegos de uno – to damp down somebody’s ardour / passion
• la distancia avivó el fuego de su pasión – distance rekindled the fires of his passion
• atizar el fuego – to add fuel to the flames, stir things up, to poke the fire
• poner las manos en el fuego por – to stake one’s life on
• jugar con fuego – to play with fire (figuratively)
• estar entre dos fuegos – to be between the devil and the deep blue sea

Related words include fueguear – to set fire to, and fueguina – a native of Tierra del Fuego (the land of fire).