tinderbox
tinderbox Lexical Profile
tinderbox Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A potentially dangerous or volatile situation, place, or thing that could easily erupt into sudden violence, chaos, or a major fire.
"Decades of economic inequality had turned the overcrowded district into a political tinderbox."
Historically, a small metal or wooden container holding dry, flammable material (tinder), along with a flint and steel used for striking a spark to start a fire.
"The museum exhibit featured an eighteenth-century brass tinderbox alongside early candleholders."
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the early 16th century, this compound combines 'tinder' (from Old English 'tyndre', meaning dry, easily ignited material) and 'box'. Before the invention of modern friction matches in the 19th century, a household tinderbox was the standard tool for lighting fires.