"sulfur match" meaning in English

See sulfur match in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: sulfur matches [plural], sulphur match [alternative]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} sulfur match (plural sulfur matches)
  1. (obsolete) A kind of taper or miniature torch produced by splintering tar barrels, immersing the slips into sulfur, and applying them to a flame. Tags: obsolete Synonyms (sulfur-infused taper): tar-barrel match, spunk Translations (sulfur-infused taper (historical)): 發燭 /发烛 (fāzhú) (Chinese Mandarin), 焠兒 /焠儿 (cuì'er) (Chinese Mandarin)
    Sense id: en-sulfur_match-en-noun-hGCjxf8P Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Chinese translations, Fire, Light sources, Sulfur Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 62 38 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 64 36 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 63 37 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 64 36 Disambiguation of Terms with Chinese translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of Fire: 60 40 Disambiguation of Light sources: 61 39 Disambiguation of Sulfur: 68 32 Disambiguation of 'sulfur-infused taper': 82 18 Disambiguation of 'sulfur-infused taper (historical)': 82 18
  2. (chiefly historical) A match activated by a sulfuric reaction, formerly by immersion of various chemicals in sulfuric acid and now more usually by friction and some amount of phosphorus. Tags: historical Synonyms (sulfuric match): brimstone match
    Sense id: en-sulfur_match-en-noun-s-GJEmIr Categories (other): Phosphorus Disambiguation of Phosphorus: 0 100 Disambiguation of 'sulfuric match': 21 79

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sulfur matches",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sulphur match",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "sulfur match (plural sulfur matches)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "62 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Chinese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "60 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Fire",
          "orig": "en:Fire",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Light sources",
          "orig": "en:Light sources",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sulfur",
          "orig": "en:Sulfur",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1907 November, Elliot Stock & al., \"Notes of the Month“, The Antiquary, Vol. XLIII (OS) or III (NS), No. 11, p. 411",
          "text": "... the old sulphur match was intended, not to produce fire, but to convey fire from the tinder to the candle. Sulphur matches were usually made by splitting thin slips off the edge of resinous pinewood or other light, inflammable wood, sharpening roughly each end, and dipping into melted sulphur."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A kind of taper or miniature torch produced by splintering tar barrels, immersing the slips into sulfur, and applying them to a flame."
      ],
      "id": "en-sulfur_match-en-noun-hGCjxf8P",
      "links": [
        [
          "kind",
          "kind"
        ],
        [
          "taper",
          "taper"
        ],
        [
          "miniature",
          "miniature"
        ],
        [
          "torch",
          "torch"
        ],
        [
          "produce",
          "produce"
        ],
        [
          "splintering",
          "splintering"
        ],
        [
          "tar",
          "tar"
        ],
        [
          "barrel",
          "barrel"
        ],
        [
          "immersing",
          "immersing"
        ],
        [
          "slip",
          "slip"
        ],
        [
          "sulfur",
          "sulfur"
        ],
        [
          "apply",
          "apply"
        ],
        [
          "flame",
          "flame"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) A kind of taper or miniature torch produced by splintering tar barrels, immersing the slips into sulfur, and applying them to a flame."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "sense": "sulfur-infused taper",
          "word": "tar-barrel match"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "sense": "sulfur-infused taper",
          "word": "spunk"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "zh",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "zh",
          "roman": "fāzhú",
          "sense": "sulfur-infused taper (historical)",
          "word": "發燭 /发烛"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "zh",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "zh",
          "roman": "cuì'er",
          "sense": "sulfur-infused taper (historical)",
          "word": "焠兒 /焠儿"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "0 100",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Phosphorus",
          "orig": "en:Phosphorus",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A match activated by a sulfuric reaction, formerly by immersion of various chemicals in sulfuric acid and now more usually by friction and some amount of phosphorus."
      ],
      "id": "en-sulfur_match-en-noun-s-GJEmIr",
      "links": [
        [
          "match",
          "match"
        ],
        [
          "activate",
          "activate"
        ],
        [
          "sulfuric",
          "sulfuric"
        ],
        [
          "reaction",
          "reaction"
        ],
        [
          "formerly",
          "formerly"
        ],
        [
          "immersion",
          "immersion"
        ],
        [
          "various",
          "various"
        ],
        [
          "chemical",
          "chemical"
        ],
        [
          "sulfuric acid",
          "sulfuric acid"
        ],
        [
          "now",
          "now"
        ],
        [
          "more",
          "more"
        ],
        [
          "usually",
          "usually"
        ],
        [
          "friction",
          "friction"
        ],
        [
          "some",
          "some"
        ],
        [
          "amount",
          "amount"
        ],
        [
          "phosphorus",
          "phosphorus"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly historical) A match activated by a sulfuric reaction, formerly by immersion of various chemicals in sulfuric acid and now more usually by friction and some amount of phosphorus."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "21 79",
          "sense": "sulfuric match",
          "word": "brimstone match"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "sulfur match"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Chinese translations",
    "en:Fire",
    "en:Light sources",
    "en:Phosphorus",
    "en:Sulfur"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sulfur matches",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sulphur match",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "sulfur match (plural sulfur matches)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1907 November, Elliot Stock & al., \"Notes of the Month“, The Antiquary, Vol. XLIII (OS) or III (NS), No. 11, p. 411",
          "text": "... the old sulphur match was intended, not to produce fire, but to convey fire from the tinder to the candle. Sulphur matches were usually made by splitting thin slips off the edge of resinous pinewood or other light, inflammable wood, sharpening roughly each end, and dipping into melted sulphur."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A kind of taper or miniature torch produced by splintering tar barrels, immersing the slips into sulfur, and applying them to a flame."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "kind",
          "kind"
        ],
        [
          "taper",
          "taper"
        ],
        [
          "miniature",
          "miniature"
        ],
        [
          "torch",
          "torch"
        ],
        [
          "produce",
          "produce"
        ],
        [
          "splintering",
          "splintering"
        ],
        [
          "tar",
          "tar"
        ],
        [
          "barrel",
          "barrel"
        ],
        [
          "immersing",
          "immersing"
        ],
        [
          "slip",
          "slip"
        ],
        [
          "sulfur",
          "sulfur"
        ],
        [
          "apply",
          "apply"
        ],
        [
          "flame",
          "flame"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) A kind of taper or miniature torch produced by splintering tar barrels, immersing the slips into sulfur, and applying them to a flame."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with historical senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A match activated by a sulfuric reaction, formerly by immersion of various chemicals in sulfuric acid and now more usually by friction and some amount of phosphorus."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "match",
          "match"
        ],
        [
          "activate",
          "activate"
        ],
        [
          "sulfuric",
          "sulfuric"
        ],
        [
          "reaction",
          "reaction"
        ],
        [
          "formerly",
          "formerly"
        ],
        [
          "immersion",
          "immersion"
        ],
        [
          "various",
          "various"
        ],
        [
          "chemical",
          "chemical"
        ],
        [
          "sulfuric acid",
          "sulfuric acid"
        ],
        [
          "now",
          "now"
        ],
        [
          "more",
          "more"
        ],
        [
          "usually",
          "usually"
        ],
        [
          "friction",
          "friction"
        ],
        [
          "some",
          "some"
        ],
        [
          "amount",
          "amount"
        ],
        [
          "phosphorus",
          "phosphorus"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly historical) A match activated by a sulfuric reaction, formerly by immersion of various chemicals in sulfuric acid and now more usually by friction and some amount of phosphorus."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "sulfur-infused taper",
      "word": "tar-barrel match"
    },
    {
      "sense": "sulfur-infused taper",
      "word": "spunk"
    },
    {
      "sense": "sulfuric match",
      "word": "brimstone match"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "zh",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "zh",
      "roman": "fāzhú",
      "sense": "sulfur-infused taper (historical)",
      "word": "發燭 /发烛"
    },
    {
      "code": "zh",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "zh",
      "roman": "cuì'er",
      "sense": "sulfur-infused taper (historical)",
      "word": "焠兒 /焠儿"
    }
  ],
  "word": "sulfur match"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.