matchstick

noun

match·​stick ˈmach-ˌstik 

1

: a slender piece especially of wood from which a match is made

2

: something resembling a matchstick especially in slenderness

cut a carrot into matchsticks

Examples of matchstick in a Sentence

Cut the peppers into pieces the size of matchsticks.

Recent Examples on the Web

The piece quite remarkably resembles a matchstick, replete with a flame that moves independently of the gold stick. —Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Move two matchsticks to make this equation correct. —Scientific American, 16 May 2026

From that try the shrimps à Brás, a twist on a popular codfish dish, invented in the 19th century which includes matchstick potatoes, olives, parsley, and eggs or the deeply satisfying oxtail croquettes. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

Little matchsticks lie flat on its surface, and then suddenly pop up and jitter across its surface, only to fall again, in seeming exhaustion. —Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for matchstick

• broomstick
• dipstick
• homesick
• joystick
• lipstick
• nonstick
• pickwick
• picnic
• redbrick
• seasick
• sidekick
• slapstick