accelerant
29
9.1
- noun
- /əˈsɛl.ə.rənt/
- Specialized
:
acelerante
- - I'm sure they used some kind of accelerant.
- petroleum-based accelerants
- arson accelerants
- common accelerants
So it is essentially just dowsing the flames with an accelerant.
- So it is essentially just dowsing the flames with an accelerant.
- So oxygen, cause no, I was about to say it's like a non burning accelerant.
- There could have been some sort of accelerant close to the house that, you know, to go from a leaf to.
- Does anyone have an accelerant now?
Examples
-
You know, your guys went a little heavy on the accelerants.
-
The accelerant was mineral spirits consistent with the rust remover found in your truck.
-
Does anyone have an accelerant now?
-
You know what kind of accelerant they used?
-
The obvious accelerant was gasoline, but, there was another chemical mixed in.
-
We identified an accelerant pattern that ran from the front door partway down the main aisle.
-
The limits of detection for the common accelerants were in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 L.
Academic text (2007) -
Most teacher-librarians agree that there are numerous possible accelerants available to ignite and fan students' literacy acquisition.
Academic text (2006) -
Have the outlet analyzed for any traces of flammable accelerants.
Fiction book (1991) -
The firefighters discovered an accelerant at the scene that intensified the flames.
How Fast
- Specialized
29
9.1
- Specialized
5
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
accelerant = accelerate (semi-transparent) = acceler + ant
The suffix '-ant' indicates an agent or something that performs the action, but the specific meaning related to fire is specialized.
Etymology
Accelerant comes from the Latin root celer, which means 'fast', and you see the same idea in familiar words like accelerate and accelerator. Think of a car's accelerator pedal that makes the car speed up — an accelerant does the same for a fire, making it grow or spread faster.