cinder

Meanings

Noun

• Partially or mostly burnt material that results from incomplete combustion of coal or wood etc.
• An ember.
• Slag from a metal furnace.
• Any strong stimulant added to tea, soda water, etc.

Verb

• To reduce to cinders.
• To cover with cinders.

Origin

• From Middle English cinder, sinder, from Old English sinder, from Proto-Germanic *sindrą, *sindraz, from Proto-Indo-European *sendʰro- ("coagulating fluid, liquid slag, scale, cinder"). Cognate with Scots sinder ("ember, cinder"), West Frisian sindel, sintel, Dutch sintel ("cinder, ember, slag"), Middle Low German sinder, sinter, German Sinter ("dross of iron, scale"), Danish sinder ("spark of ignited iron, cinder"), Swedish sinder ("slag or dross from a forge"), Icelandic sindur ("scoring"), Old Church Slavonic сѧдра ("lime cinder, gypsum"). Spelling (c- for s-) influenced by unrelated French cendre ("ashes"). sinter.