combustible
Other forms: combustibles; combustibly
Combustible means "able to catch fire," like matches or the extremely dry forest floors that people sometimes forget are combustible — until they go up in flames.
When the adjective combustible first entered the English language in the sixteenth century, it was used to describe things that burn easily. The word soon came to apply not only to objects that ignite but also to tempers that are prone to "catch fire" easily. If you’ve ever been around a person who has a combustible temper, you can understand the connection.
-
capable of igniting and burningsynonyms:ignescentcan emit sparks or burst into flameincendiarycapable of catching fire spontaneously or causing fires or burning readilyantonyms:noncombustiblenot capable of igniting and burningfireproofimpervious to damage by firenonflammableimpossible to ignite
-
a substance that can be burned to provide heat or powersynonyms: combustible materialtype of:fuela substance that can be consumed to produce energy
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing combustible
Henry Ford's Model-T was first produced in October 1908. It was the cheapest car ever built, and it helped usher in a new age of transportation. Whether you're an automotive enthusiast or a total novice, check out these words connected to cars.
These 100 words were plucked from Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel ''Fahrenheit 451,'' published in 1953. Find more Summer Reading Vocabulary Lists here.
Combining survivors' stories with historical facts about Chicago, this nonfiction text describes the causes and impacts of The Great Fire of 1871.