Definition

Noun: - The quality or state of being capable of catching fire and burning; flammability. It refers to the inherent property of a material that allows it to ignite and sustain combustion.

Usage

• This noun is typically used in scientific, engineering, and safety contexts to describe and compare the fire hazard potential of different materials.
• It is often modified by adjectives like , , , or .
• Common collocations include: , , .

Examples

• The building code strictly regulates the combustibility of materials used in construction.
• Before storing the chemicals, we must evaluate their combustibility.
• The combustibility of dry pine needles is very high, making them a fire risk.

Advanced Usage

• "Inherent combustibility": The natural, built-in ability of a substance to burn, as opposed to combustibility acquired from external treatments.
  • The inherent combustibility of petroleum makes its transportation risky.
• "Reduced combustibility": A lower degree of flammability, often achieved through chemical treatment.
  • The fabric's reduced combustibility makes it suitable for children's sleepwear.

Variants and Related Words

• Combustible (adj): Capable of catching fire and burning.
  • Gasoline is a highly combustible liquid.
• Combustibleness (n): A less common synonym for combustibility.
• Non-combustibility (n): The quality of not being able to catch fire and burn.
  • The non-combustibility of concrete is a key safety feature.

Synonyms

• Flammability: The quality of being easily set on fire. (Often used interchangeably with combustibility, though can sometimes imply easier ignition.)
• Inflammability: An older, now less common term with the same meaning as flammability. (Note: The prefix "in-" does not mean "not" in this word.)

Antonyms

• Incombustibility: The inability to be consumed by fire.
• Non-flammability: The quality of not being easily set on fire.

Noun

1. the quality of being capable of igniting and burning