Word
tinder
Phoneticstin·der
US/ˈtɪndɝ/
UK/tˈɪndɐ/
Definitions
01fire-starting material
n. small, dry things like sticks, paper, or grass that catch fire easily and help you start a bigger fire.
n. dry, combustible material used to kindle a fire by catching a spark or small flame.
“We gathered some dry leaves and small twigs to use as tinder for the campfire.”
“Without dry tinder, the hikers struggled to ignite the damp logs they had scavenged from the forest floor after the storm.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the material generally; countable when referring to specific types.
Synonyms
02dating application
n. a famous mobile app where people look at profiles and swipe to find dates or new friends.
n. a proprietary geosocial networking application that allows users to like or dislike other users based on their profiles.
“He decided to join Tinder after his friends told him it was a good way to meet people.”
“The rise of Tinder has fundamentally altered the landscape of modern dating, popularizing the 'swipe' mechanic as a primary form of social interaction.”
Usage
Usually capitalized as a proper noun.
03using the dating app
v. to use the Tinder app to look for people to date.
v. to engage with the Tinder application, typically involving the act of browsing and swiping through user profiles.
“She spent the evening Tindering while waiting for her laundry to finish.”
“Despite Tindering for several months, he found that meaningful connections remained elusive in the digital environment.”
Informal
Usage
Intransitive verb derived from the brand name.
Real-World Examples
“Two hours after Daniel Billings murdered his ex-girlfriend Molly Ticehurst in a frenzied stabbing he spoke to a woman he had met on Tinder.” “Speaking about the Stourbridge blaze, WMFS chief fire officer Tuhill said the "tinder dry conditions" in the UK and West Midlands had meant that "the fire has spread rapidly".” Etymology
From Middle English tinder, tunder, tender, tonder, from Old English tynder, from Proto-Germanic tundrą, tundrǭ (“tinder”). Compare Saterland Frisian Tunder (“tinder”), Dutch tonder (“tinder”), German Zunder (“tinder”), Swedish tända (“to light, to set on fire”). More at tind.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tinder