Word
cinder
Phoneticscin·der, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsɪndɝ/
UK/sˈɪndɐ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a piece of burnt coal or wood that is still hot and glowing. You usually find these on the ground after a fire has gone out.
n. a glowing fragment of burnt fuel, such as coal or wood, that remains after a fire has died down. Often used in the plural to describe the debris left on the ground.
Examples
“The ground was covered in glowing cinders after the campfire.”
“The hikers carefully stamped out the campfire to ensure no cinders would start a forest fire.”
“As the storm passed, the wind scattered embers and cinders across the valley, leaving a trail of scorched grass and ash in its wake.”
Examples
simple
“The ground was covered in glowing cinders after the campfire.”
contextual
“The hikers carefully stamped out the campfire to ensure no cinders would start a forest fire.”
complex
“As the storm passed, the wind scattered embers and cinders across the valley, leaving a trail of scorched grass and ash in its wake.”
Real-World Examples
“When Palestinians resisted seizure of the sheep by throwing stones and cinder blocks, the troops shot them, the spokesperson said.” “John’s little motorbike proves no match for the large truck commandeered by the T-1000, which blasts through a cinder block wall at one point.” Etymology
From Middle English cyndyr, syndir, synder, sinder, from Old English sinder (“cinder, dross, slag, scoria, dross of iron, impurity of metal”), from Proto-West Germanic sindr, from Proto-Germanic sindrą, sindraz (“dross, cinder, slag”), from Proto-Indo-European sendʰro- (“coagulating fluid, liquid slag, scale, cinder”). Cognate with Scots sinder (“ember, cinder”), West Frisian sindel, sintel (“cinder, slag”), Dutch sintel (“cinder, ember, slag”), Middle Low German sinder, sinter (“cinder, slag”), German Sinter (“dross of iron, scale”), Danish sinder (“spark of ignited iron, cinder”), Swedish sinder (“slag or dross from a forge”), Icelandic sindur (“scoring”), Old Church Slavonic сѧдра (sędra, “lime cinder, gypsum”). Spelling (c- for s-) influenced by unrelated French cendre (“ashes”). Doublet of sinter.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/cinder