noun
Uncommon
tinder
TIHN-duh
Tinder (noun) means Small, dry material such as twigs or fibre used to catch a spark and start a fire. Example: “He gathered dry leaves for tinder before striking the match.”
noun
1
Small, dry material such as twigs or fibre used to catch a spark and start a fire.
"He gathered dry leaves for tinder before striking the match."
name
1
A popular dating app in which users swipe to indicate interest in other profiles.
"So sure, she’s a romantic, but quite a pragmatic one. “I was just thinking, ‘You know what? I’ve had shit luck with boys. I’ll try Tinder, Bumble and Love Island.’”"
— Zoe Williams, Love Island winner Ekin-Su on sex, spin-offs and surgery: ‘I’ve not had anything major done. OK, apart from the boobs’ (2022)
"They matched on Tinder before meeting up."
"Famously, Tinder gamified the search for love, introducing that addictive swipe feature to its target audience: millennials."
— Lulu Garcia-Navarro, ‘The Interview’: Can Whitney Wolfe Herd Make Us Love Dating Apps Again? (2025)
How to use tinder
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDry material for starting fires, or the well-known dating app named after it.
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Word forms
- Plural
- tinders
- Third person singular
- tinders
- Past tense
- tindered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He gathered dry leaves for _____ before striking the match.
Etymology
From Old English tynder, related to a Germanic root for kindling material.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for tinder
See all rhymes for tinder →Frequently asked questions
What does “tinder” mean?
The word “tinder” means small, dry material such as twigs or fibre used to catch a spark and start a fire. In plain terms, dry material for starting fires, or the well-known dating app named after it.
How do you pronounce “tinder”?
“Tinder” is pronounced TIHN-duh (/ˈtɪn.dɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “tinder” in a sentence?
Here is “tinder” used in a sentence: “He gathered dry leaves for tinder before striking the match.”
What part of speech is “tinder”?
Depending on how it is used, “tinder” can be a noun and a name.
Where does the word “tinder” come from?
The word “tinder” comes from Old English. From Old English tynder, related to a Germanic root for kindling material.
Is “tinder” a common word?
“Tinder” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “tinder” have?
“Tinder” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: small, dry material such as twigs or fibre used to catch a spark and start a fire.
What is the difference between tinder and kindling?
Tinder refers to small, dry material such as twigs or fibre used to catch a spark and start a fire, while kindling refers to slightly larger pieces of wood added after the tinder has caught, to build the fire up before adding larger logs. Tinder is the first and finest material used, catching the initial spark, whereas kindling sustains and grows the flame.
Why is tinder used to start a fire?
Tinder is used because it is small, dry, and easily ignited by a spark, allowing a fire to be started before larger fuel is added. Common examples include dry grass, bark shavings, and fibrous plant material.
What is the difference between tinder the fire-starting material and Tinder the app?
Tinder as a fire-starting material is small, dry matter used to catch a spark, while Tinder is also the name of a popular dating app in which users swipe to indicate interest in other profiles. The app's name plays on the idea of tinder sparking a connection, but the two senses are otherwise unrelated.
