tinderbox

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tin·der·box

 (tĭn′dər-bŏks′)
n.
1. A metal box for holding tinder.
2. A potentially explosive place or situation: referred to the crowded prison as a tinderbox of suppressed violence.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tinderbox

(ˈtɪndəˌbɒks)
n
1. a box used formerly for holding tinder, esp one fitted with a flint and steel
2. a person or thing that is particularly touchy or explosive
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tin•der•box

(ˈtɪn dərˌbɒks)

n.
1. a box for holding tinder, usu. fitted with a flint and steel.
2. a person or thing that is highly volatile; any potential source of violence.
[1520–30]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.tinderbox - a dangerous state of affairs; a situation that is a potential source of violence; "the Balkans are the tinderbox of Europe"
situation - a complex or critical or unusual difficulty; "the dangerous situation developed suddenly"; "that's quite a situation"; "no human situation is simple"
2.tinderbox - a box for holding tinder
box - a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid; "he rummaged through a box of spare parts"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

tinderbox

[ˈtɪndəbɒks] N → yescas fpl (fig) → polvorín m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

tinderbox

n → Zunderbüchse f; to be (like) a tinderbox → wie Zunder brennen; (country etc) → ein Pulverfass sein
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
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