tinderbox

English

noun
Definitions
  • A small container containing flint, steel, and tinder (dry, finely-divided fibrous matter), once used to help kindle a fire.
  • (by extension) a place that is so dry and hot that there is danger of fire.
  • (by extension) a potentially dangerous situation.

Etymology

Compound from English tinder + English box (verb, a blow with the fist, boxhaul, box, case, punch).

Origin

English

box

Gloss

verb, a blow with the fist, boxhaul, box, case, punch

Concept
Semantic Field

Modern world

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Kanji

Emoji
🥊 🍱 🎁 📁 📂 📤️ 📥️ 📦️ 🗃️ 🗄️ 🗳️ 🧃

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms