tinderbox
noun, proper noun
Forms tinderboxes tinder-box tinder box
- noun (historical) A small container containing flint, steel, and tinder (dry, finely-divided fibrous matter), once used to help kindle a fire.
- noun (by extension) A place that is so dry and hot that there is danger of fire.
- noun (figurative) A potentially dangerous situation.
- proper noun A suburb of Kingborough council area, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Synonyms
Etymology
From tinder + box, first use appears c. 1530, in the writings of John Palsgrave.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “tinderbox”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details