lighter fluid

noun

1
: the liquid in a lighter (such as a cigarette lighter) that is its fuel
2
: a liquid accelerant used especially to ignite charcoal briquettes for grilling food
The average back-yard chef, wishing to cook hamburgers, tries to ignite the charcoal via the Squirt, Light and Wait Method, wherein you squirt lighter fluid on a pile of briquettes, light the pile, then wait until they have turned a uniform grey.Dave Barry

Examples of lighter fluid 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.
Dad would question her drinking, which was like squirting lighter fluid on a roaring fire. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 Sunday threw lighter fluid on the fire. Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025 Once inside, Schubert moved through the building, toppling county flags in the rotunda and setting the Columbia County flag on fire with lighter fluid, Heck said, according to the. Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 The bodies of the four teenagers were discovered the next morning when firefighters were called to put out a fire that had been set with lighter fluid. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lighter fluid

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lighter fluid was in 1922

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lighter fluid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lighter%20fluid. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!