arson

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑɹsən/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɑːsən/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)sən

From Anglo-Norman and Old French arson, from the verb ardoir, from Latin ardeō (“to burn”). Compare ardent.

arson (usually uncountable, plural arsons)

1. The crime of deliberately starting a fire with intent to cause damage.
   • 2006, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Killer Smile, Part two, p.34:

     Arson, like we thought. three punks doused a car, lit it, and took off.

• incendiary
• incendiarism

arson (third-person singular simple present arsons, present participle arsoning, simple past and past participle arsoned)

1. (transitive, chiefly India) To illegally set fire to; to burn down in a criminal manner.

From Middle English arsoun, from Old French arçon, from Vulgar Latin *arciō (“saddlebow”), from Latin arcus (“bow”); compare Italian arcione, Portuguese arção, and Spanish arzón.

arson (plural arsons)

1. (obsolete) A saddlebow.
   • 1550, Edward Halle, “The xij. yere of King Henry the viij.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illuſtre Famelies of Lancaſtre and Yoꝛke‎, folio 78, recto:

     The kyng of Englande mounted on a freſhe courſer, the trapper of clothe of golde, of Tiſſue, the Arſon mantell wiſe […]

   • 1598, John Florio, “Arcione”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC, page 25, column 1:

     Arcione, the arſon or ſaddle bowe.

   • 1634, Matheo Aleman, “Wherein Guzman de Alfarache relateth the Story of thoſe two Louers, Ozmin and Daraxa”, in Don Diego Puede-Ser, transl., The rogue: or The life of Guzman de Alfarache‎, volume 1, pages 68–69:

     […] And putting vp good ſtore of gold and Iewels for that iourney, and taking with him a good horſe, that was browne Bay, with a Petronell hanging at the arſon of his Saddle […]

• Rasŏn, SONAR, orans, roans, saron, sonar, sorna

arson

1. Alternative form of arsoun

From Old French arçon.

arson m (plural arsons)

1. saddle

From the verb ardre, ardoir, from Latin ardeō.

arson oblique singular, m (oblique plural arsons, nominative singular arsons, nominative plural arson)

1. burning; fire
2. arson
3. sunburn
4. burn (on the skin, etc.)