Tinder
/ˈtɪn.dər/noun
Dry, easily ignited material used to start a fire.
Did you know?Tinder is historically tied to the idea of something that catches fire easily, and the related Old English verb *tendan* meant “to kindle,” making fire-starting vocabulary feel almost ritualistic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*tundraną
“to kindle, set on fire”
Old English
OE
tynder
“kindling; material for starting a fire”
Middle English
ME
tinder
“dry material that readily catches fire”
Modern English
English
tinder
“dry, easily ignited material used to start a fire”