Meaning & use
tinder
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Meanings
noununcountable
Dry, easily burned material such as small twigs, grass, or paper, used to start a fire.
Grammar: Uncountable: no plural, and no 'a' before it.
Patterns
- gather tinder
- use something as tinder
- tinder for a fire
We gathered dry leaves and twigs for tinder before the rain started.
He used a piece of charred cloth as tinder to catch the spark.
The tinder was so dry that the smallest spark set it alight.
noununcountablefigurative
Something that makes a situation, feeling, or conflict more likely to develop or grow stronger.
Grammar: Used figuratively; often followed by 'for'.
Patterns
- tinder for something
- provide tinder for something
His angry speech was tinder for the growing protest.
The rumor acted as tinder for an already tense situation.
Common combinations
- dry tinder
- The forest floor was covered in dry tinder after weeks without rain.
- gather tinder
- We stopped to gather tinder before it got dark.
- tinder for a fire
- Pine needles make good tinder for a fire.
- catch a spark
- The tinder caught a spark and began to glow.
- tinder-dry
- The grass was tinder-dry and dangerous.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- tinderbox noun
- A box for holding tinder and flint, or a place that is ready to explode with conflict.
Commonly confused: tinder or tender?
tinder vs tender
Tender means soft, gentle, or painful when touched; tinder is dry material for starting a fire.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'tinder' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Tinder is dry material that catches a spark to start a fire, so gathering dry grass and leaves fits. A log is too big to be tinder, wet material cannot be tinder, and tinder is not fuel for a car.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tinder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.