Dictionary

combustible en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /kəmˈbʌstəbəl/ weak vowel merger
• [kəɱˈbʌstʰɪbəl] ~ [kəɱˈbʌstʰɪbl̩] weak vowel distinction
• (US) audio
• /kəmˈbʌstɪbəl/ weak vowel distinction
• [kəɱˈbʌstʰəbəl] ~ [kəɱˈbʌstʰəbl̩] weak vowel merger

Etymology

From Middle French combustible [from combust (past participle of comburir) + -ible] and Latin combustibilis. By surface analysis, combust + -ible.

Meanings

1. Capable of burning.
   • Sin is to the soul like fire to combustible matter. 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
   • Dumping fertilizer on top of whatever mysterious goop was in the storage tank created a combustible mix which caught fire.
   • The rest were undergoing special underbody cleaning safety checks at TfW depots, after speculation that the cause of the incidents may have been a build-up of engine oil and combustible material such as fallen leaves and general detritus. 2023 March 22, “Network News: Class 175s withdrawn for safety checks after fires”, in RAIL, number 979, page 13:
2. (dated, figuratively) Easily kindled or excited; quick; fiery; irascible.
   • Arnold, however, was a combustible character. 1855–1859, Washington Irving, The Life of George Washington:
   • The world’s richest man has inserted himself in some of the world’s most combustible conflicts. 2022 October 26, Cade Metz, Adam Satariano, Chang Che, “How Elon Musk Became a Geopolitical Chaos Agent”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Forms

Antonyms

incombustible · noncombustible · incombustible · fireproof · inflammable[contranym]]ic senses> · noninflammable · uncombustible · unflammable · refractory · noncombustible · nonflammable

Coordinates

fire-retardant · flame-retardant · fire-resistant

Deriveds

incombustibility · uncombustible · combustibly · autocombustible · combustibility · multicombustible · combustibleness · incombustible · polycombustible · noncombustible · non-combustible

Synonyms

flammable · inflammable[contranym]]ic senses>

Translations (34)

ca combustible (capable of burning) · gv yn-lostey (capable of burning) · cs hořlavý (capable of burning) · nl brandbaar (capable of burning) · bg възпламеним (capable of burning) · fr combustible (capable of burning) · ro combustibil (capable of burning) · ja 可燃性の (capable of burning) · gv so-ghreesaghey (capable of burning) · nb brennbar (capable of burning) · la combustibilis (capable of burning) · ru воспламеня́ющийся (capable of burning) · tl maliyab (capable of burning) · pl palny (capable of burning) · es combustible (capable of burning) · mt ħruqi (capable of burning) · tr yanıcı (capable of burning) · de brennbar (capable of burning) · it combustibile (capable of burning) · sv brännbar (capable of burning) · de verbrennbar (capable of burning) · hu gyúlékony (capable of burning) · mk согорлив (capable of burning) · pt combustível (capable of burning) · ru горючий (capable of burning) · ru воспламеня́емый (capable of burning) · gl combustíbel (capable of burning) · bg запалим (capable of burning) · nn brennbar (capable of burning) · pl łatwopalny (capable of burning) · fi syttyvä (capable of burning) · frm combustible (capable of burning) · gl combustible (capable of burning) · fi palava (capable of burning)

combustible en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /kəmˈbʌstəbəl/ weak vowel merger
• [kəɱˈbʌstʰɪbəl] ~ [kəɱˈbʌstʰɪbl̩] weak vowel distinction
• (US) audio
• /kəmˈbʌstɪbəl/ weak vowel distinction
• [kəɱˈbʌstʰəbəl] ~ [kəɱˈbʌstʰəbl̩] weak vowel merger

Etymology

From Middle French combustible [from combust (past participle of comburir) + -ible] and Latin combustibilis. By surface analysis, combust + -ible.

Meanings

1. A material that is capable of burning.
   • A wheel, wrapt in combustibles, was kindled and rolled down the hill. 1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 248:
2. (qualifier:tobacco industry) A cigarette or a similar product intended for smoking, as opposed to an electronic cigarette.
   • In total three-quarters of the western Big Tobacco giants' sales last year came from so-called combustibles as vaping sales are plateauing. 2025 June 14, “Big Tobacco stock rally reveals smokeless future is still a long way off”, in FT Weekend (Lex. section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 16:

Forms

Relateds

combustive · combustor · comburent · combust · combustion · combure

Translations (14)

ja 可燃物 (material capable of burning) · gl combustíbel (material capable of burning) · fi syttyvä aine (material capable of burning) · gl combustible (material capable of burning) · tr yanıcı (material capable of burning) · fr combustible (material capable of burning) · bg горивен материал (material capable of burning) · es combustible (material capable of burning) · pt combustível (material capable of burning) · de Brennstoff (material capable of burning) · pl materiał palny (material capable of burning) · ca combustible (material capable of burning) · tl liyabin (material capable of burning) · ru то́пливо (material capable of burning)