combustible

[ kuhm-buhs-tuh-buhl ]

/ kəmˈbʌs tə bəl /

Save This Word!

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.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!

Question 1 of 7

Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?

First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.

First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.

First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

Words nearby combustible

combo, combo store, comb-out, comb-over, combust, combustible, combustion, combustion chamber, combustion engine, combustion tube, combustor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for combustible

Frankel tells his story through interweaving profiles, mostly of men who have to overcome financial woes, combustible egos and their own self-doubt.
‘Midnight Cowboy’ was a masterpiece made of desperation|James Hirsch|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
Here, in your small corner on Planet Earth, in the middle of a vast, indifferent cosmos, you can achieve zen-like calm by methodically layering pieces of combustible matter for future use.
How to Find Zen by Splitting and Stacking Wood|Martin Fritz Huber|March 1, 2021|Outside Online
Whereas a sensitive question can be something to do with a topic that is potentially combustible or that we don’t talk about a lot, but it’s not necessarily offensive, per se.
Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question? (Ep. 451)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 11, 2021|Freakonomics
This means not offering provocative remarks on a combustible topic like immigration, which is sure to make them enemies.
Obama and Latinos Are at the Breaking Point|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Children have fantasy lives so rich and combustible that rigging them with lies is like putting a propeller on a rocket.
Why Jimmy Kimmel’s Lies Matter|Sam Harris|November 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This combustible brew of race, class, and economic anxieties bubbles all too closely to the surface.
The GOP’s Backdoor Impeachment Scheme|Lloyd Green|October 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In both, devotion and yearning are fragile, easily combustible, and hard to replace.
This Week’s Hot Reads, July 15, 2013|Sarah Stodola, Jen Vafidis, Damaris Colhoun|July 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Middle East today is more combustible and complex than it has ever been.
Ted Cruz's War on Context|Justin Green|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is very combustible, burns with a pale blue flame, and is converted into water.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
Finally all the combustible portion of the fort was burnt to the ground, 12 cannon were captured, and about 60 Moros were slain.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
At such moments, there was something brooding and combustible about him that gave one the sensation of walking over a mine.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
There was something so combustible and wild in his attitude, that, there, at least no one was under illusions as to the danger.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
There was no greater foundation for this than for Newton's celebrated conjecture that the diamond was combustible.
A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive|John Stuart Mill

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

Medical definitions for combustible

combustible

[ kəm-bŭs′tə-bəl ]

adj.

Capable of igniting and burning.

n.

A substance that ignites and burns readily.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

combustible

adjective

noun

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Origin of combustible

OTHER WORDS FROM combustible

Words nearby combustible

Example sentences from the Web for combustible

British Dictionary definitions for combustible

adjective

noun

Derived forms of combustible

Medical definitions for combustible

adj.

n.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

combustible

adjective

noun

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Origin of combustible

OTHER WORDS FROM combustible

Words nearby combustible

Words related to combustible

Example sentences from the Web for combustible

British Dictionary definitions for combustible

adjective

noun

Derived forms of combustible

Medical definitions for combustible

adj.

n.