matchstick

American  

[mach-stik] / ˈmætʃˌstɪk /

noun

1. a short, slender piece of flammable wood used in making matches. match.

2. something that suggests a matchstick, as in thinness or fragility.

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matchstick British  

/ ˈmætʃˌstɪk /

noun

1. the wooden part of a match

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adjective

1. made with or as if with matchsticks

   a matchstick model

2. (esp of figures drawn with single strokes) thin and straight

   matchstick men

Etymology

Origin of matchstick

First recorded in 1785–95; match ¹ + stick ¹

Example Sentences

Over and over again, they stretch out their spindly little matchstick fingers into the mighty Pacific, and over and over again, they get their knuckles rapped.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2024

Each of the 706,900 matchsticks he glued together brought the Frenchman one step closer toward his dream: achieving a world record for building the tallest matchstick sculpture.

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2024

A French model-enthusiast who wanted to beat the world record for a matchstick Eiffel Tower has had his hopes dashed.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2024

“Walk Ventura’s beaches and, in the distance, it wavers like a child’s matchstick project,” the bureau states on its website.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024

The old Duchess kept time with her matchstick.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck