incendiary device
6
7.3
- noun
- /ɪnˈsɛndiˌɛri dɪˈvaɪs/
- Specialized
:
dispositivo incendiario
- Fire officials discovered seven partially burned incendiary devices placed in five buildings of the apartment complex.
- explosive incendiary device
- found an incendiary device
- drop an incendiary device
Examples
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It appears an explosive incendiary device has been detonated.
-
We are hearing that an apparent bomb or other incendiary device has annihilated this building.
-
Somebody's found some sort of an incendiary device.
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Unless my shovel and I dig up an actual incendiary device at the scene..
-
The fire was started by an incendiary device... ...made with a champagne bottle and a couple of quarts of gasoline.
-
Police and federal agents are searching for a man who threw a Molotov cocktail-like incendiary device inside the Ballston Common Mall.
Blog text (5) -
Any person who knowingly possesses, controls, manufactures, gives, mails, sends, or causes to be sent an explosive or incendiary device commits a class 4 felony.
Blog text (17) -
Various incendiary devices have been used—usually fireballs or bottle bombs, which are thrown from adjoining roofs into open windows.
Academic text (2018) -
On December 27, 2004, four incendiary devices were placed in two homes under construction in Lincoln.
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Officials conducting an arson investigation said they had found an incendiary device where the fire was lit.
Synonyms
9
8.1
A bottle filled with liquid and a rag people light and throw to start fires
1
7.1
A bottle filled with petrol and a burning rag, thrown to start a fire
1
6.3
A bomb that starts fires to burn buildings or fuel
1
8.5
A device made to start fires in buildings or fuel stores
1
7.4
A simple weapon that uses a bottle of gasoline and a cloth wick to start fires
How Destructive
- Specialized
11
8.6
- Specialized
1
6.3
- Specialized
6
7.3
- Offensive
7
6.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'incendiary' (causing or designed to cause fires) combined with 'device' (a manufactured item) yields a device meant to start fires. This straightforward noun+noun composition is cross-linguistically common and therefore a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Incendiary device comes from the literal idea of a device that makes fires, because incendiary means 'to set fire'. Think of a small bomb or tool used in war to burn buildings or supplies, so the phrase means 'a weapon made to start fires'.