tinder

[tin-der]

noun

1. a highly flammable material or preparation formerly used for catching the spark from a flint and steel struck together for fire or light.

2. any dry substance that readily takes fire from a spark.

tinder

/ ˈtɪndə /

noun

1. dry wood or other easily combustible material used for lighting a fire

2. anything inflammatory or dangerous

   his speech was tinder to the demonstrators' unrest

Other Word Forms

• tindery adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tinder¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English tynder; akin to German Zunder, Old Norse tundr, Old English -tendan (as in ātendan to set on fire), Gothic tundnan to catch fire, German -zünden in entzünden to kindle

Word History and Origins

Origin of tinder¹

Old English tynder; related to Old Norse tundr, Old High German zuntara

Example Sentences

Neither side is sitting still—and the steps they are taking to shore up their longer-term resilience will likely provide tinder for flare-ups.

Read more on Barron's

But a week later, powerful Santa Ana winds arrived, and coupled with single-digit humidity, they turned the landscape into bone-dry tinder ready to burn.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“The tinder was there for something like Friday to occur,” said Mike Thompson, co-portfolio manager at Little Harbor Advisors.

Read more on MarketWatch

Knowing there is already a wealth of tinder, the skippers will not want sparks to fly - certainly until the contest finally gets under way on Friday morning.

Read more on BBC

This year, more tinder has been added to the fire, thanks to a flurry of hit batters and a benches-clearing melee during a series at Dodger Stadium in June.

Read more on Los Angeles Times