flammable
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L336813 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈflæməbəl/
adj
Etymology: Back-formation from inflammable, which is used to avoid confusion with non-flammable, as the prefix in- is often used to mean "un-; non-", although it was originally meant in a sense closely related to en-.
- Capable of burning.
“Near-synonym: ignitable”
“flammable liquid”
- Easily set on fire.
“Near-synonym: ignitable”
- Easily set on fire.
- Very likely to cause fighting or controversy; extremely contentious.
“In considering the possible commitment of U.S. forces to South Vietnam , the Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed the overall critical situation in Southeast Asia with particular emphasis upon the present highly flammable situation in South Vietnam.”
“They could stuff their ears with cotton, but they could not, after all, fight such flammable ideas ( at least not in the public squares where Attucks's war whoops could still be heard ).”
noun
Etymology: Back-formation from inflammable, which is used to avoid confusion with non-flammable, as the prefix in- is often used to mean "un-; non-", although it was originally meant in a sense closely related to en-.
- Any flammable substance.