kindling

American  

[kind-ling] / ˈkɪnd lɪŋ /

noun

1. material that can be readily ignited, used in starting a fire.

2. the act of one who kindles.

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kindling British  

/ ˈkɪndlɪŋ /

noun

1. material for starting a fire, such as dry wood, straw, etc

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Other Word Forms

• unkindling adjective

Etymology

Origin of kindling

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at kindle ¹, -ing ¹

Compare meaning

How does kindling compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tinder vs. kindling

Explanation

The small pieces of wood you use to start a fire are called kindling. When you go camping, you can gather kindling, little twigs and branches, to use in a campfire. Kindling helps a fire get going because it's small and dry, easily flammable. Once the kindling is burning, it can ignite the larger pieces of wood in your fire. You can also use this word to mean "the act of lighting," so you could say, "Kindling this fire is so hard after all that rain we had." Kindling comes from the Old Norse root kynda, "to light a fire."

Example Sentences

An ash tree in my yard dropped a limb and reduced my fence to kindling.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

We matter as much to him as a firestorm cares about kindling.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Unusually heavy rains in 2023 led to an explosion of new vegetation, which dried out and turned into kindling during an exceptionally dry 2024.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2025

Every year, they brought in hundreds of goats to clear brush, which can be like kindling for any fire, throughout the community.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2024

Old men were trudging up the skinny street with baskets of kindling tied to their backs.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye