combustible

[ kuhm-buhs-tuh-buhl ]

/ kəmˈbʌs tə bəl /

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See synonyms for: combustible / combustibles on Thesaurus.com

adjective

capable of catching fire and burning; inflammable; flammable: Gasoline vapor is highly combustible.

easily excited: a high-strung, combustible nature.

noun

a combustible substance: Trucks carrying combustibles will not be allowed to use this tunnel.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of combustible

From the Late Latin word combūstibilis, dating back to 1520–30. See combust, -ible

OTHER WORDS FROM combustible

com·bus·ti·bil·i·ty, com·bus·ti·ble·ness, nouncom·bus·ti·bly, adverbun·com·bus·ti·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use combustible in a sentence

Their battles added the perfect combustible fission to the Bunker nuclear family.
How a Foulmouthed Bigot Named Archie Bunker Charmed—and Changed—America|Daniel S. Levy|February 9, 2021|Time
That makes the batteries smaller and is supposed to make them safer, since the liquid in today’s batteries is combustible.
Battery startup backed by Bill Gates claims major breakthrough|Aaron Pressman|December 8, 2020|Fortune
No combustibles close to your home — for sure in the first 5 feet.
California Will Keep Burning. But Housing Policy Is Making It Worse.|by Elizabeth Weil and Mollie Simon|October 2, 2020|ProPublica
Given the combustibility of the neighborhood, the Syrian civil war really could become World War III.
The Right’s Sickening Syria Spin|Michael Tomasky|September 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST

There was something in the combustibility of the gesture that was significant of the whole man.
The Salamander|Owen Johnson
It varies in its whiteness, consistence, and combustibility, with the species and health of the animals.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure
The hangings and tinsel not only disfigured the interior of temples, but were a source of danger from their combustibility.
Pagan and Christian Rome|Rodolfo Lanciani
The varnish must be prepared in the open, far from buildings, because of its combustibility.
The Invention of Lithography|Alois Senefelder
One capital objection to zinc as a roofing material, is its combustibility.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure

British Dictionary definitions for combustible

combustible

/ (kəmˈbʌstəbəl) /

adjective

capable of igniting and burning

easily annoyed; excitable

noun

a combustible substance

Derived forms of combustible

combustibility or combustibleness, nouncombustibly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

combustible

Origin of combustible

OTHER WORDS FROM combustible

Words related to combustible

How to use combustible in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for combustible

Derived forms of combustible