(British, obsolete) A sulfur friction match whose head is treated with equal parts antimony trisulfide and potassium chlorate.
(British, obsolete) A sulfur friction match whose head is treated with equal parts antimony trisulfide and potassium chlorate.
1894 December 29, "The Invention of the Lucifer Match", The Bendigo Advertiser, p. 6:
"lucifer match" means: A sulfur friction match whose head is treated with equal parts antimony trisulfide and potassium chlorate.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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(UK, archaic) A low-sulphur or sulphurless friction match, a friction match with no disagreeable brimstone odour, particularly those employing paraffin instead of sulphur to slow the combustion of the matchstick.
A slow-burning match or torch.
(US, now, historical) A small container for matches.
(mining) A kind of slow match or safety fuse.
"lucifer match" means: A sulfur friction match whose head is treated with equal parts antimony trisulfide and potassium chlorate.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"lucifer match" means: A sulfur friction match whose head is treated with equal parts antimony trisulfide and potassium chlorate.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (British) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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(archaic) Sulfur.