safety match

American  

noun

1. a match designed to ignite only when rubbed on a specially prepared surface.

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safety match British  

noun

1. a match that will light only when struck against a specially prepared surface

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Etymology

Origin of safety match

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

safety match

She struck a safety match, and flames roared 20 feet into the air, until only her two out stretched hands were visible.

From Time Magazine Archive

As soon as the long, tarred safety match was laid, it was lighted on a level with the ground.

From The Underground City, or, the Child of the Cavern by Jules Verne

The so-called safety match of the present time was invented in the year 1855.

From Artificial Light Its Influence upon Civilization by Matthew Luckiesh

She lit it with a safety match and extinguished the match with a nervous flick of her arm.

From Earth Alert! by Kris Neville

“Have sent,” said his entertainer briefly, as he filled a pipe from the open tobacco box and struck a safety match.

From Found in the Philippines The Story of a Woman's Letters by Charles King