name · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:T IH1 N D ER0 B AA2 K S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
A suburb of Kingborough council area, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A small container containing flint, steel, and tinder (dry, finely-divided fibrous matter), once used to help kindle a fire.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A place that is so dry and hot that there is danger of fire.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A potentially dangerous situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a box for holding tinder
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: box
6
noun
Meaning 6
a dangerous state of affairs; a situation that is a potential source of violence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the Balkans are the tinderbox of Europe
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: situation
History
Etymology
From tinder + box, first use appears c. 1530, in the writings of John Palsgrave.
Across languages
Translations
49 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
крэ́сіва
(krésiva)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Belarusian:
краса́ла
(krasála)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Belarusian:
во́гніва
(vóhniva)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Bulgarian:
огни́во
(ognívo)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Burmese:
မီးခတ်
(mi:hkat)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Catalan:
caixa d'esca
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Chinese Mandarin:
打火匣
(dǎhuǒxiá)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Chinese Mandarin:
火絨盒 /火绒盒
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Czech:
křesadlo
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Danish:
fyrtøj
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Dutch:
tondeldoos
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Finnish:
tuluskukkaro
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
French:
briquet
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
French:
boîte d'amadou
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Galician:
esqueiro
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
German:
Zunderbüchse
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
German:
Feuerzeug
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Japanese:
火口箱
(hokuchibako)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Korean:
부시쌈지
(busissamji)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Macedonian:
борина
(borina)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Manx:
kishtey sponk
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Navajo:
woolkʼą́ą́h
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Norwegian Bokmål:
fyrtøy
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Polish:
pudełko na hubkę i krzesiwo
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Romanian:
bricheta
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Russian:
огни́во
(ognívo)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Russian:
креса́ло
(kresálo)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Slovak:
kresadlo
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Spanish:
yesquero
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Spanish:
caja de la yesca
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Swedish:
elddon
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Swedish:
fnöskdosa
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Udmurt:
тылкорт
(tylkort)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Ukrainian:
огни́во
(ohnývo)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Ukrainian:
креси́во
(kresývo)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Ukrainian:
креса́ло
(kresálo)
— small container containing flint, steel, and tinder
Chinese Mandarin:
火藥桶 /火药桶
(huǒyào tǒng)
— potentially dangerous situation
