kindling

noun

kin·​dling ˈkin(d)-liŋ How to pronounce kindling (audio)
ˈkin-lən
: easily combustible material for starting a fire

Examples of kindling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By that time, the mountains around L.A. were like a giant pile of kindling. Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025 Then Sam throws the rest of his kindling onto his fire in a last-ditch attempt just as, as Jeffrey says, the wind blows Teeny’s fire away from her rope and blows Sam’s fire upward toward his rope. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024 In the dry seasons, the brush withered into kindling waiting to ignite. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025 The red flag warnings that have blanketed most of Southern California, and helped turn parts of it into kindling, have left the desert alone so far for the most part. Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kindling

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kindling was circa 1522

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Cite this Entry

“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kindling. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

kindling

noun
kin·​dling ˈkin-(d)liŋ How to pronounce kindling (audio)
: material that burns easily and is used to start a fire

Medical Definition

kindling

noun
kind·​ling ˈkin-dliŋ How to pronounce kindling (audio)
: the electrophysiological changes that occur in the brain as a result of repeated intermittent exposure to a subthreshold electrical or chemical stimulus (as one causing seizures) so that there develops a usually permanent decrease in the threshold of excitability

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