cinder

[sin-der]

noun

1. a partially or mostly burned piece of coal, wood, etc.

2. cinders,

   1. any residue of combustion; ashes.

   2. Geology.,  coarse scoriae erupted by volcanoes.

3. a live, flameless coal; ember.

4. Metallurgy.

   1. slag.

   2. a mixture of ashes and slag.

verb (used with object)

1. to spread cinders on.

   The highway department salted and cindered the icy roads.

2. Archaic.,  to reduce to cinders.

verb (used without object)

1. to spread cinders on a surface, as a road or sidewalk.

   My neighbor began cindering as soon as the first snowflake fell.

cinder

/ ˈsɪndə /

noun

1. a piece of incombustible material left after the combustion of coal, coke, etc; clinker

2. a piece of charred material that burns without flames; ember

3. Also called: sinter. any solid waste from smelting or refining

4. (plural) fragments of volcanic lava; scoriae

verb

1. rare,  (tr) to burn to cinders

Other Word Forms

• cindery adjective
• cinderous adjective
• cinderlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cinder¹

before 900; Middle English synder, Old English sinder slag; cognate with German Sinter, Old Norse sindr; c- (for s- ) < French cendre ashes

Word History and Origins

Origin of cinder¹

Old English sinder; related to Old Norse sindr, Old High German sintar, Old Slavonic sedra stalactite

Idioms and Phrases

see burned to a cinder.

Example Sentences

People threw rocks or chunks of cinder blocks, lit objects on fire and set off fireworks in the direction of law enforcement, Galvez’s agreement states.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“We have to respond. We have to fight fire with fire,” he continued, “but I want everyone to know that we’re going to end up with only cinders remaining.”

Read more on Salon

At 91, he never imagined starting his life over again in tiny rented apartments, with decades of memories in cinders.

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At least 14 people are facing separate federal charges in relation to the L.A. protests, with alleged crimes including assaulting officers with cinder blocks and Molotov cocktails, and conspiracy to impede arrests.

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Alleged crimes include hurling a Molotov cocktail at sheriff’s deputies and throwing cinder blocks at federal law enforcement; others, however, are facing prison time for seemingly more minor skirmishes.

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Related Words

• ember 
• soot