inflammable

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle French inflammable, from Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, from Latin īnflammāre (to set on fire), from in (in, on) + flamma (flame). Equivalent to inflame +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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inflammable (comparative more inflammable, superlative most inflammable)

  1. Capable of burning.
    Synonyms: flammable, combustible
    Antonyms: nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable; fireproof, incombustible
  2. Easily set on fire.
    Synonym: flammable
    Antonyms: nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable; fireproof, incombustible
    • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
      On he went a few paces and touched a second, then a third, and a fourth, till at last we were surrounded on all three sides by a great ring of bodies flaring furiously, the material with which they were preserved having rendered them so inflammable that the flames would literally spout out of the ears and mouth in tongues of fire a foot or more in length.
  3. (figuratively) Easily excited; set off by the slightest excuse; easily enraged or inflamed.
    Synonyms: hot-headed, quick to anger
    Antonyms: level-headed, unflappable
  4. (nonstandard) Incapable of burning; not easily set on fire.
    Synonyms: nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable; fireproof, incombustible
    Antonyms: flammable, combustible

Usage notes

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  • Inflammable is traditionally used to mean "capable of burning" (compare inflame meaning "set on fire"); the term flammable is a more recent back-formation. Recently, comparison with other words where in- means "not" (like inedible and inaccurate) has led to inflammable being used to mean "not flammable". Where confusion might arise, especially where this may be a safety hazard, one may prefer to use flammable or nonflammable, respectively.
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Translations

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Noun

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inflammable (plural inflammables)

  1. Any inflammable substance.

Further reading

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French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Middle French inflammer +‎ -able, from Latin īnflammābilis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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inflammable (plural inflammables)

  1. flammable, inflammable
    Antonym: ininflammable

Derived terms

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Further reading

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