From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbonfirebon‧fire /ˈbɒnfaɪə $ ˈbɑːnfaɪr/ noun [countable] DLOa large outdoor fire, either for burning waste or for a party
Examples from the Corpus
bonfire• Dad had a bonfire going behind the garage.• Bees flying into a bonfire ... Troopers fought troopers.• Somebody had lit a bonfire and we sat round it chatting until we had dried our clothes.• A bonfire blazed inside a small circle of stones.• They piled up scrap wood, boxes and other junk and made a big bonfire.• Saying a prayer, she flung herself into her captors' bonfire.• In the middle a large bonfire had been constructed.• They then began to light bonfires, expressing their delight.• He dug his thumbs into the eyes, a red bonfire blazing at his chest, and heard an underwater bubbling squeal.• On the dunes Angus had put a match to the bonfire which crackled, spat, and flared up.• The bonfire will be lit at 7.00 p.m., with fireworks starting just 15 minutes later.Origin bonfire (1500-1600) bonfire “fire made from bones” ((14-17 centuries)), from bone + fire 