Wiktionary

inflammable

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle French inflammable, from Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, from Latin īnflammāre (“to set on fire”), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”). Equivalent to inflame +‎ -able.

Pronunciation edit

  • enPR: ĭnʹflăm-ə-bəl, IPA(key): /ɪnˈflæməbəl/
    • Audio (Southern England)(file)

Adjective edit

inflammable (comparative more inflammable, superlative most inflammable)

  1. Capable of burning; easily set on fire.
    Synonyms: combustible, flammable
    Antonyms: fireproof, incombustible, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable
    • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
      On he went a few paces and touched a second, then a third, and a fourth, till at last we were surrounded on all three sides by a great ring of bodies flaring furiously, the material with which they were preserved having rendered them so inflammable that the flames would literally spout out of the ears and mouth in tongues of fire a foot or more in length.
  2. (figuratively) Easily excited; set off by the slightest excuse; easily enraged or inflamed.
    Synonyms: hot-headed, quick to anger
    Antonyms: level-headed, unflappable
  3. (nonstandard) Incapable of burning; not easily set on fire.
    Synonyms: fireproof, incombustible, nonflammable, noninflammable, unflammable, uninflammable
    Antonyms: combustible, flammable

Usage notes edit

  • Inflammable is traditionally used to mean "capable of burning" (compare inflame meaning "set on fire"); the term flammable is a more recent back-formation. Recently, comparison with other words where in- means "not" (like inedible and inaccurate) has led to inflammable being used to mean "not flammable". Where confusion might arise, especially where this may be a safety hazard, one may prefer to use flammable or non-flammable, respectively.

Related terms edit

Translations edit

Noun edit

inflammable (plural inflammables)

  1. Any inflammable substance.

Further reading edit

French edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Middle French inflammer +‎ -able, from Latin īnflammābilis.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

inflammable (plural inflammables)

  1. flammable, inflammable
    Antonym: ininflammable

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=inflammable&oldid=78547049"