strike-a-light

A camper uses a strike-a-light to start a small campfire.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A device for striking a light: "strike-a-light" refers to a small tool or implement used to produce a flame, typically by striking a flint against steel or using a similar mechanism. It is an older term for a fire striker or tinderbox, often used before the invention of modern matches or lighters.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He carried a strike-a-light in his pocket to start campfires. (A portable fire-starting device.)
  • The museum displayed a 19th-century strike-a-light made of flint and steel. (An antique fire striker.)

Advanced Usage

• "to use a strike-a-light": to operate the device to create a spark.
  • The scout demonstrated how to use a strike-a-light to ignite tinder. (He showed the technique of striking flint to produce sparks.)

Variants and Related Words

• Strike (v): to hit or collide with force; also, to ignite by friction.

  • He struck the match against the box. (He ignited the match by friction.)

• Light (n): the natural agent that stimulates sight; also, a source of illumination or flame.

  • She used a candle to provide light. (A source of flame.)

• Fire striker (n): a synonym for strike-a-light, a tool for creating sparks.

  • The fire striker was essential for survival outdoors. (A flint-and-steel device.)

Synonyms

• Tinderbox: a box containing flint, steel, and tinder for starting fires.
• Fire steel: a piece of steel used with flint to produce sparks.
• Flint and steel: the pair of tools used together in a strike-a-light.

Related Idioms

• Strike while the iron is hot: to act promptly when an opportunity arises.

  • He decided to strike while the iron is hot and apply for the job immediately. (He acted without delay.)

• Strike a light: an exclamation of surprise or to call for attention (archaic).

  • "Strike a light, that's a huge fish!" (An expression of astonishment.)