combustible
combustible Lexical Profile
combustible Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Capable of catching fire and burning easily.
"All combustible materials must be stored in sealed metal cabinets away from open flames."
Easily excited, angered, or provoked into sudden conflict or emotional outbursts.
"Negotiators worked carefully to defuse the combustible political climate between the two rival factions."
• noun
A substance or material that catches fire and burns easily (usually used in the plural).
"The safety inspector ordered the immediate removal of all dry combustibles from the boiler room."
Word Nuance & Usage
In technical fire-safety standards, 'combustible' refers to materials with a higher flash point that burn when heated, whereas 'flammable' describes substances with a low flash point that ignite much more easily at ambient temperatures.
• Rhymes for combustible
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'combustible', from Late Latin 'combustibilis', derived from the past participle stem of Latin 'comburere' ('to burn up, consume').