kindling

noun

kin·​dling ˈkin(d)-liŋ How to pronounce kindling (audio)
ˈkin-lən
: easily combustible material for starting a fire

Examples of kindling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Beneath me, one by one, logs are added to a nest of kindling in the hearth. Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 Now, all that kindling is dry following the long, arid months of summer. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025 Those accumulate on the forest floor, and become perfect kindling for fires, igniting with even the smallest spark from a cigarette or lawn mower. Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 Ronnie Villanueva, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s interim chief, told The Times that his firefighters were on high alert for brush fires after months of light rainfall left heaps of dry vegetation ready to serve as kindling. Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for kindling

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kindling was circa 1522

Cite this Entry

“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kindling. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

kindling

noun
kin·​dling ˈkin-(d)liŋ How to pronounce kindling (audio)
: material that burns easily and is used to start a fire

Medical Definition

kindling

noun
kind·​ling ˈkin-dliŋ How to pronounce kindling (audio)
: the electrophysiological changes that occur in the brain as a result of repeated intermittent exposure to a subthreshold electrical or chemical stimulus (as one causing seizures) so that there develops a usually permanent decrease in the threshold of excitability

More from Merriam-Webster on kindling

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