English Dictionary

tinderbox

noun

(historical) A small container containing flint, steel, and tinder (dry, finely-divided fibrous matter), once used to help kindle a fire.

He carried a tinderbox with him wherever he went.

意味（1）

(historical) A small container containing flint, steel, and tinder (dry, finely-divided fibrous matter), once used to help kindle a fire.

Haines helped himself and snapped the case to. He put it back in his sidepocket and took from his waistcoatpocket a nickel tinderbox, sprang it open too, and, having lit his cigarette, held the flaming spunk towards Stephen in the shell of his hands.

意味（2）

(by extension) A place that is so dry and hot that there is danger of fire.

And then came the night that made America famous / Was it carelessness or someone's sick idea of a joke? / In the tinderbox trap that we hippies lived in, someone struck a spark

意味（3）

(figuratively) A potentially dangerous situation.

This act was the match that ignited the great tinderbox of fuel that had been building for years between many of the countries in Europe.