tinder C1 Topic:Materials & Substances US /ˈtɪndɚ/ UK /ˈtɪndə/ See IPA manual Freq #24356 Meanings 1 noun dry, easily combustible material used to start a fire She struck a spark into the dry tinder and gently blew on it. 2 noun something likely to ignite conflict, anger, or other intense feeling The disputed verdict provided tinder for another round of protests. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · dry, easily combustible... kindlingtouchwoodfire starter 2 noun · something likely to ignite... provocationfuelflashpoint ↔ Opposites fire retardantdeterrent Word family Related forms kindlesparktouchwoodflammable Etymology From Middle English tinder and Old English tynder, from a Germanic family of words for material used to catch a spark. The figurative sense treats social tension as fuel waiting to ignite. Topics Materials & Substances External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # tinder **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈtɪndɚ/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈtɪndə/ **Frequency rank:** 24356 ## Meanings 1. dry, easily combustible material used to start a fire 2. something likely to ignite conflict, anger, or other intense feeling ## Examples - She struck a spark into the dry tinder and gently blew on it. - The disputed verdict provided tinder for another round of protests. ## Synonyms - kindling - fire starter - fuel - provocation ## Antonyms - fire retardant - deterrent ## Related Forms - kindle - spark - touchwood - flammable ## Etymology From Middle English tinder and Old English tynder, from a Germanic family of words for material used to catch a spark. The figurative sense treats social tension as fuel waiting to ignite. ## Topics - Materials & Substances markdown