burn off

burn off (third-person singular simple present burns off, present participle burning off, simple past and past participle burned off)

1. (intransitive) To dissipate as the result of heat.
2. (transitive) To cause to dissipate by applying heat.
3. (transitive, intransitive, oil) To dispose of (unusable explosive natural gas from an oil well) by burning it as it emerges from the well.
4. (transitive, intransitive, television) To fill (low-value air time) with programming not suitable for its original purpose.

• (dispose of unusable natural gas): flare