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Glite Dictionary
touchwood

touchwood

9.9
Dry wood used to start a fire
  • noun
  • /ˈtʌtʃwʊd/
  • Archaic
translation icon : yesca
  • We used touchwood to ignite the flames for our camping stove.

Examples

  • Fawkes had a watch, touchwood and matches in his pocket.

  • Touchwood: A Collection of Ojibway Prose. Vizenor. (L. Owens) 14(2):186.

    Academic text (1992)

  • To start the fire, he gathered some dry touchwood and kindling.

  • Before lighting the bonfire, she made sure to collect enough touchwood to ensure it caught easily.

Synonyms

tinder
vstouchwood
15 4.5

Dry material that lights easily to start a fire

is specifically decayed dry wood used for starting fires
kindling
vstouchwood
9 2.2

Small dry sticks used to start a fire

is about decayed dry wood rather than small starter sticks
punk
vstouchwood
  • Specialized
8 9.9

A dry, spongy material used to start a fire

is drier decayed wood intended to catch sparks rather than burn slowly
spunk
vstouchwood
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A dry material used to start a fire

is the common modern term for dry fire-starting wood
brushwood
vstouchwood
1 6.1

Branches and twigs from bushes that people use for fire or simple fences

is decayed dry material chosen for easy ignition rather than general branches
fatwood
vstouchwood
  • US
7.4

Pine wood full of sticky resin that people use to start fires

is ordinary dry decayed wood instead of resin-heavy starter pieces
matchwood
vstouchwood
8.2

Wood that people use to make matchsticks because it lights easily and burns evenly

is natural dry wood used whole to start fires rather than for matches

How Flammable

gasoline
  • US
318 1.6
pyrogen
  • Specialized
9.9
kerosene
41 3.8
touchwood
  • Archaic
9.9
paper
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

touchwood singular
touchwoods plural

Morphology

touchwood = touch + wood (semi-transparent) = touch + wood

The components 'touch' and 'wood' are recognisable, but the specialised meaning 'tinder/dry combustible material' is somewhat archaic or domain-specific and not directly inferable by all learners.

Etymology

Touchwood comes from touch + wood and originally meant small, dry pieces of wood used as 'tinder' to start a fire, a simple place to 'touch' a spark so it would burn. So today touchwood still names dry wood that is good for lighting a fire.