A hard, fine-grained quartz that fractures conchoidally and generatessparks when struck against a material such as steel, because tiny chips of the steel are heated to incandescence and burn in air.
A piece of flint, such as a gunflint, used to produce a spark by striking it with a firestriker.
From Middle English flynt, flint, from Old English flint, from Proto-West Germanic *flint, from Proto-Germanic *flintaz (compare Dutch vlint, flint, German Flins, Flint, Danish flint), from Proto-Indo-European *splind- ("to split, cleave") (compare Irish slinn ("slate, shingle"), Ancient Greek πλίνθος), from *(s)plei-. More at split.
Modern English dictionary
Explore and search massive catalog of over 900,000 word meanings.
Word of the Day
Get a curated memorable word every day.
Challenge yourself
Level up your vocabulary by setting personal goals.