cinder en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [ˈsɪ̟ndɚ] ~ [ˈsɪ̟ndɹ̩] (General-American)
- /ˈsɪndɚ/ (General-American)
- [ˈsɪndəː] (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈsɪndəː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English cyndyr, syndir, synder, sinder, from Old English sinder (“cinder, dross, slag, scoria, dross of iron, impurity of metal”), from Proto-West Germanic *sindr, from Proto-Germanic *sindrą, *sindraz (“dross, cinder, slag”), from Proto-Indo-European *sendʰro- (“coagulating fluid, liquid slag, scale, cinder”). Cognate with Scots sinder (“ember, cinder”), West Frisian sindel, sintel (“cinder, slag”), Dutch sintel (“cinder, ember, slag”), Middle Low German sinder, sinter (“cinder, slag”), German Sinter (“dross of iron, scale”), Danish sinder (“spark of ignited iron, cinder”), Swedish sinder (“slag or dross from a forge”), Icelandic sindur (“scoring”), Old Church Slavonic сѧдра (sędra, “lime cinder, gypsum”). Spelling (c- for s-) influenced by unrelated French cendre (“ashes”). Doublet of sinter.
Meanings
-
Partially or mostly burnt material that results from incomplete combustion of coal or wood etc.; it often rides the rising smoke column into the air, and it can pose a fire hazard when it lands, in dry conditions.
Travellers over the London & North Western main line in bygone days will need no reminder of the pattering of cinders on the carriage roofs, the fountains of sparks from the chimneys at night and the distance from which the exhaust of approaching locomotives could be heard, due to the fierceness of their blast in such conditions.
1962 June, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Modern Railways, page 399:
-
An ember.
If from adown the hopeful chops The fat upon the cinder drops, To stinking smoke it turns the flame, Poisoning the flesh from whence it came
1730, Jonathan Swift, The Lady's Dressing Room:
- Slag from a metal furnace.
-
(colloquial, dated) Any strong stimulant added to tea, soda water, etc.
She'd sit by the fire, arms crossed, demanding that Ruby spike her tea with a cinder. But Ruby would never give in to her demands, no matter how much her mam begged. There was no alcohol in the house now; Arthur had made sure of that in an effort to get Mary sober.
2021, Glenda Young, The Miner's Lass:Oh, horrid proposition! One would imagine, Tom, that you had been a coal-heaver. Had you said soda and cinder, I would have seconded the motion.
1846, Catherine Grace Frances Gore, Selected Works, volume 2, page 9:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sinder | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| cinders | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
cinderous · tap cinder · cinder dick · becindered · cinder notch · cinder cone · cinder frame · cinder toffee · cinderblock · mill cinder · brittle cinder · cinder tea · cinderless · cindery · cinder block · cinderlike
Descendants
Relateds
Translations (53)
fi hiili (partially or mostly burnt material) · nrf chendre (partially or mostly burnt material) · pt borralha (partially or mostly burnt material) · nl slak (slag from a metal furnace) · th ถ่าน (partially or mostly burnt material) · pl oparzelina (partially or mostly burnt material) · got 𐌰𐌶𐌲𐍉 (partially or mostly burnt material) · ka წიდა (partially or mostly burnt material) · cs oharek (partially or mostly burnt material) · hu salak (slag from a metal furnace) · ru шлак (slag from a metal furnace) · ru ока́лина (slag from a metal furnace) · no aske (partially or mostly burnt material) · nl as (partially or mostly burnt material) · cmn 餘燼 /余烬 (partially or mostly burnt material) · hu hamu (partially or mostly burnt material) · cmn 煤渣 (partially or mostly burnt material) · ja 燃え殻 (partially or mostly burnt material) · mi ngārehu (partially or mostly burnt material) · pl żużel (slag from a metal furnace) · es escoria (slag from a metal furnace) · pt borralho (partially or mostly burnt material) · bg пепел (partially or mostly burnt material) · cmn 灰燼 /灰烬 (partially or mostly burnt material) · pl zgorzelina (partially or mostly burnt material) · fr cendre (partially or mostly burnt material) · ga aibhleog dhóite (partially or mostly burnt material) · sv masugnsslagg (slag from a metal furnace) · ru зола́ (partially or mostly burnt material) · es carbonilla (partially or mostly burnt material) · it cenere (partially or mostly burnt material) · es carboncillo (partially or mostly burnt material) · sk ohorok (partially or mostly burnt material) · ar جَمْرُ مُنْطَفِيّ (partially or mostly burnt material) · bg шлака (slag from a metal furnace) · sv aska (partially or mostly burnt material) · cmn 爐渣 /炉渣 (slag from a metal furnace) · la favilla (partially or mostly burnt material) · tr kor (partially or mostly burnt material) · de Schlacke (slag from a metal furnace) · hy անթեղ (partially or mostly burnt material) · es ceniza (partially or mostly burnt material) · ru пе́пел (partially or mostly burnt material) · fi tuhka (partially or mostly burnt material) · mi ngārahu (partially or mostly burnt material) · hy խարամ (slag from a metal furnace) · de Asche (partially or mostly burnt material) · pl szlag (slag from a metal furnace) · sv slagg (partially or mostly burnt material) · fi kuona (slag from a metal furnace) · pt escória (slag from a metal furnace) · de Zunder (slag from a metal furnace) · bg сгурия (partially or mostly burnt material)