matchstick
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A short, thin piece of wood: Specifically, the small wooden stick that forms the main part of a match, before or after the tip has been struck and burned.
Usage
The word "matchstick" refers specifically to the wooden component of a match. It is used to describe its physical form, often emphasizing its small size, thinness, or fragility. It can refer to a new, unused match or to the remnant left after one has been burned.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- As a unit of measurement or comparison: Informally used to describe something very thin.
- After his illness, his legs were as thin as matchsticks.
Variants and Related Words
- Match (noun): The complete object, including the matchstick and the combustible tip, used for creating fire.
- Matchwood (noun): 1. Wood suitable for making matches. 2. Small splinters of wood, as from something shattered.
Synonyms
- Splint
- Spill (archaic, for a thin piece of wood or paper used to light a fire)
Idioms and Phrases
- (As) thin as a matchstick: An idiom describing a person or thing that is extremely slender or skinny.
- The stray cat was as thin as a matchstick.
Noun
- a short thin stick of wood used in making matches