A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

Thule --- northernmost part of the world, O.E., from L., from Gk. Thyle "land six days' sail north of Britain" (Polybius). Identity is speculative; it came to be used in a transferred sense of "extreme limits of travel."

thumb --- O.E. þuma, from W.Gmc. *thumon- (cf. O.Fris. thuma, O.S., O.H.G. thumo, Ger. Daumen, Du. duim "thumb," O.N. þumall "thumb of a glove"), lit. "the stout or thick (finger)," from PIE *tum- "swell" (cf. L. tumere "to swell," tumidus "swollen;" Avestan tuma "fat;" see thigh). For spelling with -b (attested from c.1290), see limb. The verb meaning "to go through" (especially of printed material) is first found 1930, though the related sense of "soil or wear by handling" dates from 1644. Verb meaning "to hitchhike" is 1939, originally the thumb pointed in the direction one wished to travel. Thumbnail sketch (1852) so called for its smallness. To be under (someone's) thumb "be totally controlled by that person" is recorded from 1586. Thumbs up (1887) and thumbs down (1906) were said to be from expressions of approval or the opposite in ancient amphitheaters, especially gladiator shows, where the gesture decided whether a defeated combatant was spared or slain. But the Roman gesture was merely one of hiding the thumb in the hand or extending it. Perhaps the modern gesture is from the usual coachmen's way of greeting while the hands are occupied with the reins.

thumbtack --- tack with a broad, flat head which may be driven by pressure from the thumb, 1884, from thumb + tack.

thump (v.) --- c.1537, "to strike hard," probably imitative of the sound made by hitting with a heavy object (cf. E.Fris. dump "a knock," Swed. dial. dumpa "to make a noise"). The noun is first recorded 1552. Thumping (adj.) "exceptionally large" is colloquial from 1576.

thunder --- O.E. þunor, from P.Gmc. *thunraz (cf. O.N. þorr, O.Fris. thuner, M.Du. donre, Du. donder, O.H.G. donar, Ger. Donner "thunder"), from PIE *(s)tene- "to resound, thunder" (cf. Skt. tanayitnuh "thundering," Pers. tundar "thunder," L. tonare "to thunder"). Swed. tordön is lit. "Thor's din." The intrusive -d- is also found in Du. and Icelandic versions of the word. The verb is O.E. þunrian; fig. sense of "to speak loudly, threateningly, bombastically" is recorded from c.1340. Thunderbolt is from c.1440; thunderclap is from c.1386; thunderstruck is from 1613, originally fig.; the lit. sense always has been rare. Thunderhead "high-piled cloud" is recorded from 1861.

thunk (1) --- sound of impact, attested from 1952, echoic.

Thursday --- O.E. Þurresdæg, perhaps a contraction (influenced by O.N. Þorsdagr) of Þunresdæg, lit. "Thor's day," from Þunre, gen. of Þunor "Thor" (see Thor); from P.Gmc. *thonaras daga- (cf. O.Fris. thunresdei, M.Du. donresdach, Du. donderdag, O.H.G. Donares tag, Ger. Donnerstag "Thursday"), a loan-translation of L. Jovis dies "day of Jupiter," identified with the Gmc. Thor (cf. It. giovedi, O.Fr. juesdi, Fr. jeudi, Sp. jueves), itself a loan-translation of Gk. dios hemera "the day of Zeus."

thus --- O.E. þus "in this way," related to þæt "that" and this, but the exact connection and P.Gmc. history are obscure. Cognate with O.S., O.Fris. thus, M.Du., Du. dus. Colloquial adv. thusly first recorded 1865.

thwack --- to hit hard with a stick, 1530, of echoic origin. The noun is recorded from 1587.

thwaite --- cleared land, 1628, from O.N. þveit "piece of land, paddock," lit. "cutting, cut-piece" (related to O.E. þwitan "to cut, cut off"). Always a rare word and now obsolete, but frequently encountered in place names, where it probably originally meant "piece of ground cleared from forest."

thwart (adv.) --- c.1200, from O.N. þvert "across," originally neut. of thverr (adj.) "transverse, across," cognate with O.E. þweorh "transverse, perverse, angry, cross," from P.Gmc. *thwerkhaz (cf. M.Du. dwers, Du. dwars "cross-grained, contrary," O.H.G. twerh, Ger. quer, Goth. þwairhs "angry"), altered (by influence of *thwer- "to turn") from *therkh-, from PIE *twork-/*twerk- "twist" (cf. L. torquere "to twist," Skt. tarkuh "spindle," O.C.S. traku "band, girdle," O.H.G. drahsil "turner," Ger. drechseln "to turn on a lathe"). The verb meaning "oppose, hinder" is c.1250, from the adv. and prep.

thy --- possessive pronoun of 2nd person sing., c.1175, reduced form of þin (see thine), originally used before consonants except H. In 15c., used before vowels, too.

thyme --- plant of the mint family, 1398, from O.Fr. thym, tym (13c.), from L. thymum, from Gk. thymon, possibly from thyein "burn as a sacrifice," which would indicate the plant was used as incense.

thymus --- gland near the base of the neck, 1693, Mod.L., from Gk. thymos "a warty excrescence," used of the gland by Galen, lit. "thyme," probably so called because of a fancied resemblance to a bunch of thyme.

thyroid (adj.) --- 1693 (in ref. to both the cartilage and the gland), from Gk. thyreoiedes "shield-shaped" (in khondros thyreoiedes "shield-shaped cartilage," used by Galen to describe the "Adam's apple" in the throat), from thyreos "oblong, door-shaped shield" (from thyra "door") + -eides "form, shape." The noun, short for thyroid gland, is recorded from 1849.

thyrsus --- 1591, from Gk. thyrsos, lit. "stalk or stem of a plant," a non-Gk. word of unknown origin. The staff or spear tipped with an ornament like a pine cone, and sometimes wreathed in ivy or vine branches, borne by Dionysus and his votaries.

Tia Maria --- coffee-flavored, rum-based liqueur, originally made in the West Indies, 1948, from Sp., lit. "Aunt Mary."

tiara --- 1555, "headdress of the Persian kings" (also worn by men of rank), from L. tiara, from Gk. tiara, of unknown origin. Earlier in Anglicized form tiar (1513).

Tib --- 1533, typical name for an Eng. woman of the lower class, hence "girl, lass, sweetheart," sometimes also "strumpet," from the pet form of Isabel. Often paired with Tom, as Jill was with Jack.

Tibert --- name of the cat in "Reynard the Fox" (1481), hence used as a proper name for any cat, from Flem. and Du. Tybert, O.Fr. Tibert. Identified by Shakespeare with Tibalt, which is from O.Fr. Thibauld, from Gmc. *Theobald (see Theobald).

tibia --- lower leg bone, 1726, from L. tibia "shinbone," also "pipe, flute," in which sense it originally came into Eng. (1548). Of unknown origin. The L. plural is tibiæ.

tic --- twitching of a facial muscle, 1822, often a shortening of tic douloureux "severe facial neuralgia," lit. "painful twitch" (1800), from Fr. tic "a twitching disease of horses" (1611), of unknown origin. Klein suggests an imitative origin; Fr. etymologists compare it to It. ticchio "whim, caprice."

tick (1) --- parasitic animal, O.E. ticia, from W.Gmc. *tik- (cf. M.Du. teke, Du. teek, O.H.G. zecho, Ger. Zecke "tick"), of unknown origin. Fr. tique (1464), It. zecca are Gmc. loan-words.

tick (2) --- 1440, "light touch or tap," probably cognate with Du. tik, M.H.G. zic, and perhaps echoic. Meaning "sound made by a clock" is probably first recorded 1549; tick-tock is recorded from 1848. To tick (someone) off is recorded from 1915, originally "to reprimand, scold;" meaning "to annoy" is recorded from 1975.

tick (3) --- credit, 1642, shortening of ticket (q.v.).

ticker --- 1821, "something that ticks," from tick (2); slang meaning "heart" first recorded 1930. Ticker tape (1902) is from ticker "telegraphic device for recording stock market quotations, etc." (1883).

ticket --- 1528, "short note or document," from an aphetic form of M.Fr. etiquet "label, note," from O.Fr. estiquette "a little note" (1387), especially one affixed to a gate or wall as a public notice, from estiquer "to affix, stick," from Frank. *stikkan, cognate with O.E. stician "to pierce" (see stick (v.)). Meaning "card or piece of paper that gives its holder a right or privilege" is first recorded 1673, probably developing from the sense of "certificate, license, permit." The political sense of "list of candidates put forward by a faction" has been used in Amer.Eng. since 1711. The verb is first recorded 1611. Meaning "official notification of offense" is from 1930; parking ticket first attested 1947. Big ticket item is from 1970. Slang the ticket "just the thing, what is expected" is recorded from 1838, perhaps with notion of a winning lottery ticket.

ticking --- cloth covering for mattresses or pillows, 1649, from tyke (modern tick) with the same meaning (1342), probably from M.Du. tike, a W.Gmc. borrowing of L. theca "case," from Gk. theke "a case, box, cover, sheath" (see theco-).

tickle --- c.1330 (intrans.) "to be thrilled or tingling," of uncertain origin, possibly a frequentative form of tick (2) in its older sense of "to touch." The OE form was tinclian. Some suggest a metathesis of kittle (M.E. kytyllen), from Du. kietelen, from a common North Sea Gmc. word for "to tickle" (cf. O.N. kitla, O.H.G. kizzilon, Ger. kitzeln). Meaning "to excite agreeably" (c.1386) is a translation of L. titillare. Meaning "to touch lightly so as to cause a peculiar and uneasy sensation" is recorded from 1398; that of "to poke or touch so as to excite laughter" is from 1423; fig. sense of "to excite, amuse" is attested from 1688. The noun is recorded from 1801. Ticklish in the lit. sense of "easily tickled" is recorded from 1598, later than the fig. sense (1581); an earlier word for this was tickly (1530). Tickled "pleased, happy" is from 1586.

tick-tack-toe --- 1884, probably an extension of tick-tack (1588), a form of backgammon, possibly from M.Fr. trictrac, perhaps imitative of the sound of tiles on the board.

ticky tacky --- inferior, cheap material, 1962 (in song "Little Boxes"), reduplication of tacky.

tidal --- 1807, a hybrid formation from tide (q.v.) + Latin-derived suffix -al. A tidal wave (1830) is properly high water caused by movements of the tides; erroneous use for "tsunami, great ocean wave caused by an earthquake, etc." is recorded from 1878.

tidbit --- c.1640, probably from dialectal tid "fond, solicitous, tender" + bit "morsel."

tiddlywinks --- children's tile-flipping game, 1857, probably an arbitrary formation from baby talk, but perhaps from slang tiddly-wink "unlicensed drink shop" (1844), from slang tiddly "a drink, drunk."

tide --- O.E. tid "point or portion of time, due time," from P.Gmc. *tidiz "division of time" (cf. O.S. tid, Du. tijd, O.H.G. zit, Ger. Zeit "time"), from PIE *di-ti- "division, division of time," suffixed form of base *da- "to divide, cut up" (cf. Skt. dati "cuts, divides;" Gk. demos "people, land," perhaps lit. "division of society;" daiesthai "to divide;" O.Ir. dam "troop, company"). Meaning "rise and fall of the sea" (1340) is probably via notion of "fixed time," specifically "time of high water;" either a native evolution or from M.L.G. getide (cf. also Du. tij, Ger. Gezeiten "flood tide"). O.E. had no specific word for this, using flod and ebba to refer to the rise and fall. The verb meaning "to carry (as the tide does)" is recorded from 1626, usually with over.

tidings --- announcement of an event, 1069, from O.E. tidung "event, occurrence, piece of news," perhaps in part a verbal noun from O.E. tidan "to happen," in part from O.N. tiðendi (pl.) "events, news," from tiðr (adj.) "occurring," from PIE *di-ti- (see tide). Cf. Norw. tidende "tidings, news," Du. tijding, Ger. Zeitung "newspaper").

tidy --- c.1250, probably originally "in season, timely, opportune, excellent," from tide in the sense of "season, time" (see tide). Cf. O.H.G. zitig, Ger. zeitig, Du. tijdig, Dan. tidig "timely." Meaning "neat and in order" first recorded 1706. The verb in this sense is from 1821.

tie (n.) --- that with which anything is tied, O.E. teag, from P.Gmc. *taugo (cf. O.N. taug "tie," tygill "string"), from PIE *deuk- "to pull, to lead" (cf. O.E. teon "to draw, pull, drag;" see duke). Fig. sense is recorded from 1555. Meaning "equality between competitors" is first found 1680, from notion of a connecting link (tie-breaker is recorded from 1961). Sense of "necktie, cravat" first recorded 1761. The railway sense of "transverse sleeper" is from 1857, Amer.Eng. The verb is from O.E. tigan, tiegan. In the noun sense of "connection," tie-in dates from 1934. Tie-dye first attested 1904. Tie one on "get drunk" is recorded from 1951.

tier --- row, rank, range, 1569, from M.Fr. tire, from O.Fr. tire "rank, sequence, order" (c.1210), probably from tirer "to draw, draw out" (see tirade). Some suggests the O.Fr. noun is from a Gmc. source akin to O.H.G. ziari, Ger. Zier "adornment," O.E. tir "glory, honor."

tierce --- old unit of measure equal to one-third of a pipe (42 gallons), 1531, from O.Fr., from L. tertia, fem. of tertius "a third," from base of tres "three." Also used in Eng. for "a third part" (1491), and "the third hour of the canonical day" (ending at 9 a.m.), c.1375.

tiff --- 1727, "outburst of temper," later "small quarrel" (1754), of uncertain origin; OED suggests onomatopoeic, "from the sound of a slight puff of air or gas."

tiffany --- type of thin, transparent fabric, 1601; earlier a common name for the festival of the Epiphany (1323, in Anglo-Fr. from 1292), from O.Fr. Tifinie, Tiphanie (c.1200), from L.L. Theophania "Theophany," another name for the Epiphany, from Gk. theophania "the manifestation of a god." Also popular in O.Fr. and M.E. as a name given to girls born on Epiphany Day. The fabric sense is found only in Eng. and is of obscure origin and uncertain relation to the other meanings, unless as a fanciful allusion to "manifestation:"

tiger --- O.E. tigras (pl.), also in part from O.Fr. tigre (c.1150), both from L. tigris "tiger," from Gk. tigris, possibly from an Iranian source. The meaning "shriek or howl at the end of a cheer" is recorded from 1845, Amer.Eng. Tigress first recorded 1611. Tiger's-eye "yellowish-brown quartz" is recorded from 1891.

tight --- c.1435, "dense, close, compact," from M.E. thight, from O.N. þettr "watertight, close in texture, solid," from P.Gmc. *thenkhtuz (cf. second element in O.E. meteþiht "stout from eating;" M.H.G. dihte "dense, thick," Ger. dicht "dense, tight," O.H.G. gidigan, Ger. gediegen "genuine, solid, worthy"), from PIE base *tenk- "to become firm, curdle, thicken" (cf. Ir. techt "curdled, coagulated," Lith. tankus "close, tight," Pers. tang "tight," Skt. tanakti "draws together, contracts"). Sense of "drawn, stretched" is from 1576; meaning "fitting closely" (as of garments) is from 1779; that of "evenly matched" (of a contest, bargain, etc.) is from 1828, Amer.Eng.; that of "drunk" is from 1830; that of "close, sympathetic" is from 1956. Tightrope is recorded from 1801. Tight-assed "unwilling to relax" is attested from 1903. Tight-laced is recorded from 1741 in both the lit. and fig. senses. Tight-lipped is first attested 1876.

tighten (v.) --- to make tight, 1727; the earlier verb was simply tight, from O.E. tyhtan, from the root of tight.

tights --- 1827, "tight-fitting breeches," from tight. Meaning "skin-tights worn by dancers, acrobats, etc." is attested from 1836.

tightwad --- parsimonious person, 1900, from tight in the sense of "close-fisted" (1805) + wad. The notions of stringency and avarice also combine in Mod.Gk. sphiktos "greedy," lit. "tight."

Tijuana --- from the name of a Diegueño (Yuman) village, written Tiajuan in 1829; deformed by folk-etymology association with Sp. Tia Juana "Aunt Jane."

Tiki --- large wooden image of the creator-ancestor of Maoris and Polynesians, 1777, from Eastern Polynesian tiki "image." Tiki torch is first recorded 1973.

tilde --- 1864, from Sp., metathesis of Catalan title, from L. titulus "inscription, heading" (see title).

tile (n.) --- O.E. tigele "roofing shingle," from W.Gmc. *tegala (cf. O.H.G. ziagal, Ger. ziegel, Du. tegel, O.N. tigl), a borrowing from L. tegula "tile" (cf. It. tegola, Fr. tuile), from tegere "roof, to cover" (see stegosaurus). Also used in O.E. and early M.E. for "brick," before that word came into use. The verb meaning "to cover with tiles" is recorded from c.1375.

till (n.) --- cashbox, 1452, from Anglo-Fr. tylle "compartment," O.Fr. tille "compartment, shelter on a ship," probably from O.N. þilja "plank, floorboard," from P.Gmc. *theljon. The other theory is that the word is from M.E. tillen "to draw," from O.E. -tyllan (see toll (v.)), with a sense evolution as in drawer (see draw).

till (prep.) --- until, O.E. til (Northumbrian), from O.N. til "to, until," from P.Gmc. *tilan (cf. Dan. til, O.Fris. til "to, till," Goth. tils "convenient," Ger. Ziel "limit, end, goal"). A common preposition in Scand., probably originally the accusative case of a noun now lost except for Icelandic tili "scope," the noun used to express aim, direction, purpose (e.g. aldrtili "death," lit. "end of life"). Also cf. Ger. Ziel "end, limit, point aimed at, goal," and compare till (v.).

till (v.) --- cultivate (land) (c.1205), "plow" (1377), from O.E. tilian "tend, work at, get by labor," originally "strive after," related to till "fixed point, goal," and til "good, suitable," from P.Gmc. *tilojanan (cf. O.Fris. tilia "to get, cultivate," O.S. tilian "to obtain," M.Du., Du. telen "to breed, raise, cultivate, cause," O.H.G. zilon "to strive," Ger. zielen "to aim, strive"), from source of till (prep.).

tiller --- 1353, "stock of a crossbow," from O.Fr. telier "stock of a crossbow" (c.1200), originally "weaver's beam," from M.L. telarium, from L. tela "web, loom," from PIE *teks-la-, from base *teks- "to weave" (see texture). Meaning "bar to turn the rudder of a boat" first recorded 1625.

tilt (n.) --- a joust, a combat, 1511, perhaps from tilt (v.) on the notion of "to lean" into an attack, but the word originally seems to have been the name of the barrier which separated the combatants, which suggests connection with tilt in an earlier meaning "covering of coarse cloth, an awning" (c.1440), which is probably from tilt (v.), but perhaps related to or influenced by tent, or it may be from a Gmc. source akin to O.E. beteldan "to cover." The verb is recorded from 1595. Hence, also full tilt (c.1600).

tilt (v.) --- O.E. *tyltan "to be unsteady," from tealt "unsteady," from P.Gmc. *taltaz (cf. O.N. tyllast "to trip," Swed. tulta "to waddle," Norw. tylta "to walk on tip-toe," M.Du. touteren "to swing"). Meaning "to cause to lean, tip, slope" (1594) is from sense of "push or fall over." Intrans. sense first recorded 1626. Meaning "condition of being tilted" is recorded from 1837.

timber --- O.E. timber "building, structure," later "building material, trees suitable for building," and "wood in general," from P.Gmc. *temran (cf. O.Fris. timber "wood, building," O.H.G. zimbar "timber, wooden dwelling, room," O.N. timbr "timber," Ger. Zimmer "room"), from PIE *demrom-, from base *dem-/*dom- "build" (source of Gk. domos, L. domus; see domestic). The O.E. verb timbran, timbrian was the chief word for "to build" (cf. Du. timmeren, Ger. zimmern). As a call of warning when a cut tree is about to fall, it is attested from 1912 in Canadian Eng. Timbers in the nautical slang sense (see shiver (n.)) is from the specialized meaning "pieces of wood composing the frames of a ship's hull" (1748).

timbre --- characteristic quality of a musical sound, 1849, from Fr. timbre "quality of a sound," earlier "sound of a bell," from O.Fr., "bell without a clapper," originally "drum," probably via Medieval Gk. *timbanon, from Gk. tympanon "kettledrum" (see tympanum). Timbre was used in O.Fr. (13c.) and M.E. (14c.) to render L. tympanum in Ps. 150.

timbrel --- percussive Middle Eastern instrument, c.1500, dim. of timbre (q.v.) in its older Fr. sense of "drum." Used in Bible translations, chiefly to render Heb. taph, cognate with Arabic duff "drum," of imitative origin.

Timbuktu --- city on the southern edge of the Sahara desert, older spelling Timbuctoo, used allusively in Eng. for "most distant place imaginable" from at least 1863.

time (n.) --- O.E. tima "limited space of time," from P.Gmc. *timon "time" (cf. O.N. timi "time, proper time," Swed. timme "an hour"), from PIE *di-mon-, from base *da- "cut up, divide" (see tide). Abstract sense of "time as an indefinite continuous duration" is recorded from 1388. Personified since at least 1509 as an aged bald man (but with a forelock) carrying a scythe and an hour-glass. In English, a single word encompasses time as "extent" and "point" (Fr. temps/fois, Ger. zeit/mal) as well as "hour" (e.g. "what time is it?" cf. Fr. heure, Ger. Uhr). Extended senses such as "occasion," "the right time," "leisure," or times (v.) "multiplied by" developed in O.E. and M.E., probably as a natural outgrowth of phrases like, "He commends her a hundred times to God" (O.Fr. La comande a Deu cent foiz).

time (v.) --- O.E. getimian "to happen, befall," from time (n.). Meaning "to appoint a time" (of an action, etc.) is attested from c.1300; sense of "to record the time of" (a race, event, etc.) is first attested 1670.

timely --- late O.E. (adv.), from time (n.). As an adj. meaning "occurring at a suitable time" it is attested from c.1200.

time-sharing --- 1953, as a computing term, from time (n.) + share. In real estate, as an arrangement in property use, it is recorded from 1976.

timid --- 1549, from M.Fr. timide "easily frightened, shy," from L. timidus "fearful," from timere "to fear."

timocracy --- 1586, from M.Fr. tymocracie, from M.L. timocratia (13c.), from Gk. timokratia, from time "honor, worth" (related to tiein "to place a value on, to honor") + -kratia "rule." In Plato's philosophy, a form of government in which ambition for power and glory motivates the rulers (as in Sparta). In Aristotle, a form of government in which political power is in direct proportion to property ownership.

Timon --- a misanthrope, from Timon, name of a misanthrope who lived in Athens during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.E.), hero of Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens."

timorous --- c.1450, from O.Fr. temeros (14c.), from M.L. timorosus "fearful," from L. timor "fear," from timere "to fear." Some early sense confused by mistaken identification with M.E. temerous "rash" (see temerity).

Timothy --- masc. proper name, from Fr. Timothée, from L. Timotheus, from Gk. Timotheos, lit. "honoring God," from time "honor, respect" + theos "god." With lower-case t-, first recorded 1747 as short for timothy grass (1736), Amer.Eng. name for "meadow cat's-tail grass" (Phleum pratense), a native British grass introduced to the Amer. colonies and cultivated there from c.1720, said to be so called for Timothy Hanson, who was first to cultivate it as an agricultural plant.

timpani --- 1876, plural of timpano (1740), from It. timpani "drums," from L. tympanum "drum" (see tympanum).

tin --- O.E. tin, from P.Gmc. *tinom (cf. M.Du., Du. tin, O.H.G. zin, Ger. Zinn, O.N. tin), of unknown origin, not found outside Gmc. Tinny is first recorded 1552; used figuratively (of sounds, etc.) since 1877; tin-type in photography is from 1864. Tin ear "lack of musical discernment" is from 1909. Tin Lizzie "early Ford, especially a Model T," first recorded 1915. Tinfoil is attested from 1467; tinhorn "petty but flashy" is 1857, originally of low-class gamblers, from the tin cans they used for shaking dice.

Tin Pan Alley --- hit song writing business, 1908, from tin pan, slang for "a decrepit piano" (1882). The original one was 28th Street in New York City, home to many music publishing houses.

tincture (n.) --- 1400, from L. tinctura "act of dyeing or tingeing," from tinctus "dye," pp. of tingere "to tinge, dye, moisten, soak," from PIE base *teng- "to soak" (cf. O.H.G. dunkon "to soak," Gk. tengein "to moisten"). Meaning "solution of medicine in a mixture of alcohol" is first recorded 1646. The verb is recorded from 1616.

tinder --- dry, inflammable substance, O.E. tynder, related to tendan "to kindle," from P.Gmc. *tund- "ignite, kindle" (cf. Goth. tandjan, Swed. tända, Ger. zünden). Tinderbox "box in which tinder and flint are kept" is recorded from 1530; fig. sense of " 'inflammable' person or thing" is attested from 1598.