flammable liquid
4
3.4
- noun
- /ˈflæməbl ˈlɪkwɪd/
- Specialized
:
líquido inflamable
- An odorless, tasteless flammable liquid... ...yet it burned with an unusual pinkish hue.
- flammable liquid like gasoline
Examples
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It's full of flammable liquid.
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"I felt much safer than when I had to haul flammable liquids," Pete said.
Fiction book (1993) -
Added Director Tom Radulovich, "If somebody wants to break the law and bring flammable liquids on, they can."
Blog text (17) -
The blankets are soaked with a flammable liquid.
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A spectacular fire fueled by solvents, oils, and other flammable liquids swept through an oil company on North Spring Street just northeast of Chinatown Wednesday night...
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The workers used a flammable liquid to clean the machinery before the maintenance began.
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Always store flammable liquids in a cool place to prevent accidental fires.
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During the safety training, we learned how to handle flammable liquids properly.
Antonyms
How Flammable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'flammable' (able to catch fire easily) with 'liquid' (a flowing substance); a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer 'a liquid that catches fire easily'. This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition common across languages and standard English, so the expression is fully compositional and transparent.
Etymology
Flammable liquid creates a simple image: the word flammable means it can catch fire and liquid is a fluid like gasoline that a small spark can set alight and that burns quickly. That's why it means 'a liquid that catches fire easily and burns quickly'.