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 Liquid items placed in the ear included shoe glue (added instead of ear drops), lighter fluid, candle wax and hydrogen peroxide. Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 5 Nov. 2023 Second, the traditional design (which dates to 1932) relies on old-school lighter fluid, which tends to evaporate over time making for a sometimes-frustrating flick. Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Filled with lighter fluid, the best of these hand warmers can go for 12 hours—ample time to keep your hands toasty from sunrise to sundown, or through the longest golf matches ever. Ben Romans, Field & Stream, 25 Oct. 2023 This is not your typical American cookout with briquettes poured into a Weber and doused in lighter fluid. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023 According to the indictment, the conspirators used accelerants such as lighter fluid to set racks of clothing and other materials on fire. Howard Koplowitz | Hkoplowitz@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2023 The chimney starter is capable of lighting barbecue coals in 15 minutes or less without lighter fluid or any other chemicals. Tom Price, Popular Mechanics, 26 Apr. 2023 Haight squirted lighter fluid on the man and also tried to set him on fire before deputies arrived and took him into custody, authorities said. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2023 Julia added a single Bic lighter fluid earring, and wore her long brown hair straight and down. Seventeen, 12 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lighter fluid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near lighter fluid

Cite this Entry

“Lighter fluid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lighter%20fluid. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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