Dictionary

tinder en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɪn.dɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɪn.dəː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈtʰɪ̟n.dɚ] ~ [ˈtʰɪ̟n.dɹ̩] (General-American)
• [ˈtʰɪn.dəː] (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English tinder, tunder, tender, tonder, from Old English tynder, from Proto-Germanic *tundrą, *tundrǭ (“tinder”). Compare Saterland Frisian Tunder (“tinder”), Dutch tonder (“tinder”), German Zunder (“tinder”), Swedish tända (“to light, to set on fire”). More at tind.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Small dry sticks and finely-divided fibrous matter etc., used to help light a fire.
   • Strike on the Tinder, hoa: / Giue me a Taper: […] c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 311, line 157:

Forms

Coordinates

kindling · firewood

Deriveds

tinderbox · tinderish · tinder fungus · tindery · tinderlike · German tinder

Relateds

cinder · teend

Translations (65)

la fōmes (dry sticks etc.) · hy աբեթ (dry sticks etc.) · fr amadou (dry sticks etc.) · ar حُرَاق (dry sticks etc.) · izh virite (dry sticks etc.) · bg разпалки (dry sticks etc.) · pl rozpałka (dry sticks etc.) · it esca (dry sticks etc.) · ar حَرُوق (dry sticks etc.) · tr çıra (dry sticks etc.) · vi bùi nhùi (dry sticks etc.) · mi pangi (dry sticks etc.) · sv fnöske (dry sticks etc.) · mi pangē (dry sticks etc.) · mk борина (dry sticks etc.) · es encendaja (dry sticks etc.) · alt куу (dry sticks etc.) · ka აბედი (dry sticks etc.) · ro iască (dry sticks etc.) · hy ղավ (dry sticks etc.) · fi sytyke (dry sticks etc.) · az qov (dry sticks etc.) · rm escha (dry sticks etc.) · ota قاو (dry sticks etc.) · cs troud (dry sticks etc.) · hu gyújtós (dry sticks etc.) · tl lulog (dry sticks etc.) · udm сеньки (dry sticks etc.) · es yesca (dry sticks etc.) · uk трут (dry sticks etc.) · no kveike (dry sticks etc.) · vec lesca (dry sticks etc.) · hu aprófa (dry sticks etc.) · mi kōetoeto (dry sticks etc.) · hu alágyújtós (dry sticks etc.) · pl hubka (dry sticks etc.) · hu gyúanyag (dry sticks etc.) · rup eascã (dry sticks etc.) · tr kav (dry sticks etc.) · hy կպչան (dry sticks etc.) · nrf tondre (dry sticks etc.) · es incendaja (dry sticks etc.) · rm estga (dry sticks etc.) · fur lescje (dry sticks etc.) · pt isca (dry sticks etc.) · eo tindro (dry sticks etc.) · pl podpałka (dry sticks etc.) · vec esca (dry sticks etc.) · gl esca (dry sticks etc.) · de Zunder (dry sticks etc.) · ar وَرْيَة نَار (dry sticks etc.) · rup iascã (dry sticks etc.) · ga sponc (dry sticks etc.) · pt graveto (dry sticks etc.) · gl isca (dry sticks etc.) · mi puaka (dry sticks etc.) · mi pūkoki (dry sticks etc.) · ca esca (dry sticks etc.) · ar صُوفَان (dry sticks etc.) · sq eshkë (dry sticks etc.) · ast yesca (dry sticks etc.) · ast esca (dry sticks etc.) · nb opptenningsved (dry sticks etc.) · ar رِيَّة (dry sticks etc.) · ru трут (dry sticks etc.)

tinder en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɪn.dɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɪn.dəː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈtʰɪ̟n.dɚ] ~ [ˈtʰɪ̟n.dɹ̩] (General-American)
• [ˈtʰɪn.dəː] (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English tinder, tunder, tender, tonder, from Old English tynder, from Proto-Germanic *tundrą, *tundrǭ (“tinder”). Compare Saterland Frisian Tunder (“tinder”), Dutch tonder (“tinder”), German Zunder (“tinder”), Swedish tända (“to light, to set on fire”). More at tind.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To set fire to; torch.
   • Is heaven a murderer when its lightning strikes a would-be murderer in his bed, tindering sheets and skin together? 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

Forms