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tinder

[ tin-der ]
/ ˈtɪn dər /
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noun
a highly flammable material or preparation formerly used for catching the spark from a flint and steel struck together for fire or light.
any dry substance that readily takes fire from a spark.

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Origin of tinder

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tinder in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tinder

tinder
/ (ˈtɪndə) /

noun
dry wood or other easily combustible material used for lighting a fire
anything inflammatory or dangeroushis speech was tinder to the demonstrators' unrest

Derived forms of tinder

tindery, adjective

Word Origin for tinder

Old English tynder; related to Old Norse tundr, Old High German zuntara
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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