tinder
/'tində/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * Material for starting a fire: Any dry, flammable substance, such as wood shavings, dry grass, or charred cloth, that easily catches a spark or flame and is used to ignite a larger fire.
Usage
- The primary use of "tinder" is to describe the initial, easily ignitable material in fire-making. It is the first stage before adding kindling (small sticks) and then larger fuel.
- It is often used in the context of survival, camping, and historical methods of fire-starting.
- It can be used both literally and metaphorically to describe something that can easily start a more significant event, like a conflict.
Examples
- He gathered dry leaves and birch bark to use as tinder for the campfire.
- In the wilderness, having good tinder can mean the difference between life and death.
- The political scandal provided the tinder for a major public uprising.
Advanced Usage
- "Tinder-dry" (adjective): Extremely dry and therefore highly flammable, often used to describe vegetation or conditions conducive to wildfires.
- After months of drought, the forest was tinder-dry and dangerous.
- Metaphorical use: "Tinder" can metaphorically represent a situation, emotion, or issue that is volatile and ready to ignite into something larger.
- The unfair policies created tinder for social unrest.
Variants and Related Words
- Tinderbox (noun):
- A historical box containing tinder, flint, and steel for starting a fire.
- A situation or place that is dangerously volatile and could erupt into violence or conflict.
- The overcrowded prison was a tinderbox of tension.
Synonyms
- Kindling (specifically refers to small sticks/stage after tinder, but often used more broadly)
- Firestarter
- Combustible material
Related Idioms and Phrases
- A tinderbox situation: A highly volatile or dangerous situation that could explode into conflict or violence with a single spark.
- The standoff between the two armies was a tinderbox situation.