tinder

noun

tin·​der ˈtin-dər How to pronounce tinder (audio)
1
: a very flammable substance adaptable for use as kindling
2
: something that serves to incite or inflame
that rhetoric was ready tinder for revolutionMargaret Peters

Examples of tinder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Eventually, the tinder bursts into flame, after which the firemaker can kindle it into a larger fire. Bradley Duncan, Discover Magazine, 25 Dec. 2023 Even if there's a little bit of moisture left in the vegetation, in a matter of hours these winds can actually suck the remaining moisture out of that fuel and turn it into tinder. Michael Calore, WIRED, 17 Aug. 2023 And all the snowmelt has brilliantly greened what’s often a dry, brown tinder box by this time of year. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023 First, have your child collect small twigs and bark (tinder), short sticks (kindling), and larger logs (fuel). Nicole Harris, Parents, 25 Oct. 2023 Some of the company’s poles are surrounded by invasive grasses that can become explosive tinder in the dry season. Peter Eavis, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2023 This has created an oversupply of tinder that should have been cleared long ago by healthier fire cycles. Omar Mouallem, WIRED, 23 Aug. 2023 Position your tinder bundle at the focal point until the concentrated sunlight ignites the tinder. Jim Baird, Field & Stream, 28 June 2023 But if financial disparities between executives and workers are the tinder, to borrow Ryan’s Burn It Down metaphor, Hollywood has been stockpiling the fuel for years. Maria Aspan, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tinder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English tynder; akin to Old High German zuntra tinder, Old English tendan to kindle

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tinder was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tinder

Cite this Entry

“Tinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinder. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tinder

noun
tin·​der ˈtin-dər How to pronounce tinder (audio)
: a material that burns easily and can be used as kindling

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