tinder

English

Etymology

From Old English tynder, from tind. Compare to Swedish tända (“to light, to set on fire”), German zünden.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪndə(r)

Noun

Wikipedia tinder (uncountable)

1. small dry sticks and finely-divided fibrous matter etc., used to help light a fire.

Usage notes

Tinder refers to the first stage of building a fire: sparks light tinder, which then lights kindling, which then lights the main fire.

Derived terms

• tinder box, tinderbox

Related terms

• teend

Coordinate terms

• kindling

Translations

dry sticks etc.

• Albanian: ashkël (sq), ashër (sq)
• Aromanian: iascã (rup) f
• Czech: troud (cs) m
• Finnish: taula (fi), sytyke (fi)
• French: amadou (fr) m
• Georgian: აბედი (ka) (abedi)
• German: Zunder (de) m

• Jèrriais: tondre m
• Macedonian: борина (mk) (bórina) f
• Romanian: iască (ro) f
• Russian: трут (ru) (trut) m
• Spanish: yesca (es) f
• Turkish: çıra (tr)

Verb

tinder (third-person singular simple present tinders, present participle tindering, simple past and past participle tindered)

1. (transitive) This word needs a definition. Please help out and add a definition, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
   • Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

     Is heaven a murderer when its lightning strikes a would-be murderer in his bed, tindering sheets and skin together?