hangfire

[hang-fahy^uhr]

noun

1. a delay in the detonation of gunpowder or other ammunition, caused by some defect in the fuze.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hangfire¹

First recorded in 1890–95; hang + fire

Example Sentences

According to Samantha Evans of Hangfire Southern Kitchen in Barry, South Wales, by far the best solution is to use one tool we always have close to hand: your thumb.

Read more on The Guardian

They, too, were nervous about hangfire, the unstable snow left along the edges of an avalanche’s path that can release at any moment.

Read more on New York Times

June Allyson and Robert Walker on a hangfire honeymoon.

Read more on Time Magazine Archive