different between tinder vs touchwood

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t?nd?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?t?nd??/
• Rhymes: -?nd?(r)
• Homophone: tender (pen-pin merger)

Noun

tinder (countable and uncountable, plural tinders)

1. Small dry sticks and finely-divided fibrous matter etc., used to help light a fire.

Usage notes

Tinder refers to the first stage of building a fire: sparks light tinder, which then lights kindling, which then lights the main fire.

Coordinate terms

• kindling

Derived terms

• tinder box, tinderbox

Related terms

• teend

Translations

Verb

tinder (third-person singular simple present tinders, present participle tindering, simple past and past participle tindered)

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?

References

Anagrams

• dirten, rident, trined

Middle English

Alternative forms

• tunder, tender, tonder, tyndre, tyndir, tendre, tundir, tundur, tundyr

Etymology

From Old English tynder, from Proto-Germanic *tundr?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?tind?r/, /?tund?r/, /?t?nd?r/

Noun

tinder (uncountable)

1. tinder, firestarters

Descendants

• English: tinder
• Scots: tunder, tundir

References

• “tinder, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-27.

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

tinder m

1. indefinite plural of tind

English

Etymology

Apparently from touch +? wood, but perhaps the first element is derived from torch.

Noun

touchwood (uncountable)

1. Decayed wood used as tinder; punk.

Translations