incendiary
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1in·cen·di·ary
noun \in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē; -ˈsen-də-rē, -dyə-\ plural in·cen·di·ar·ies
Definition of INCENDIARY
1
See Examples of INCENDIARY
- <firefighters caught the incendiary, who was watching the effects of his handiwork>
- <blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government>
- He was convinced that the arsonist was not at all what the town imagined: not brazen, but callow; not an expert incendiary noiselessly plying deer paths, but someone who was driving right up to his targets and fumbling with matches … —Barry Werth, New England Monthly, February 1989
- White phosphorus, an incendiary, is normally packed in thin-walled casings; the casing is effective for dispersing chemical agents as well. —Stephen Budiansky, Nature, 5–11 Apr. 1984
- The British had also made jellied gasoline with rubber, and it was generally recognized to be an excellent incendiary because of its easy ignition, high heat of combustion, and controlled burning rate. —B. & F. M. Brodie, From Crossbow to H-Bomb, 1973
- [+]more
Origin of INCENDIARY
Middle English, from Latin incendiarius, from incendium conflagration, from incendere
First Known Use: 15th century
Rhymes with INCENDIARY
apothecary, bicentenary, confectionary, confectionery, consigliere, constabulary, contemporary, deflationary, disciplinary, discretionary, diversionary, epistolary, exclusionary, expansionary, extemporary, extraordinary, fiduciary, hereditary, illusionary, imaginary, inflationary, insanitary, intercalary, involuntary, itinerary, judiciary, lending library, marionberry, obituary, olallieberry, on the contrary, pecuniary, pituitary, precautionary, preliminary, presidiary, probationary, proprietary, provisionary, reactionary, subliterary, subsidiary, tercentenary, unnecessary, veterinary, vocabulary, voluptuary
2in·cen·di·ary
adjective \in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē; -ˈsen-də-rē, -dyə-\Definition of INCENDIARY
2
: tending to excite or inflame : inflammatory <incendiary speeches>
3
a : igniting combustible materials spontaneously b : of, relating to, or being a weapon (as a bomb) designed to start fires
4
: extremely hot <incendiary chili peppers>
Examples of INCENDIARY
- The fire was started by an incendiary bomb.
- <recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions>
- While visual effects experts work with images, mechanical effects experts work with machinery, tools, incendiary devices, and other equipment to manipulate physical events during live-action filming. —Patricia D. Netzley, Encyclopedia of Movie Special Effects, 2000
- In the mid-Eighties, heavy-metal music was the incendiary genre being demonized … —Alan Light, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 1993
- The only caveat … is to know one's own sensitivity to chili pepper heat. If a small or moderate dose of capsicum (the incendiary chemical component in chilies) makes you dash for a glass of ice water, this menu is not going to be fun for you. —Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 15 Mar. 1991
- [+]more
Origin of INCENDIARY
(see 1incendiary)
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to INCENDIARY
- Synonyms
- inflammatory, seditious
Learn More About INCENDIARY
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: incendiary bomb
Previous Word in the Dictionary: incendiarist
All Words Near: incendiary
Previous Word in the Dictionary: incendiarist
All Words Near: incendiary
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up incendiary? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
