lighter fluid

noun

1
: the liquid in a lighter (such as a cigarette lighter) that is its fuel
2
: a liquid accelerant used especially to ignite charcoal briquettes for grilling food
The average back-yard chef, wishing to cook hamburgers, tries to ignite the charcoal via the Squirt, Light and Wait Method, wherein you squirt lighter fluid on a pile of briquettes, light the pile, then wait until they have turned a uniform grey.Dave Barry

Examples of lighter fluid 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.
Horsman then ran out, grabbed a gallon of lighter fluid and dumped it on Pomerleau, police said. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025 In the 1995 movie Waiting to Exhale, a heartbroken, fed up Bernadine Harris (played by Angela Bassett) gets revenge on her deceitful husband and releases her pain by piling his wardrobe into the back of his luxury car before dousing it all in lighter fluid and setting it ablaze. Dave Quinn, People.com, 23 June 2025 Court documents, obtained by The Associated Press, show Johnson walked into the convenience store Harris was working at with a bottle of lighter fluid and a cigarette lighter. Stepheny Price , Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025 During the robbery, Johnson doused Harris with lighter fluid, stole cash from the cash register as well as her rings, two packs of cigarettes and a lighter before setting her on fire. Christine Pelisek, People.com, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lighter fluid

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lighter fluid was in 1922

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Cite this Entry

“Lighter fluid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lighter%20fluid. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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