cinder

• sinder (obsolete)

From Middle English cinder, sinder, from Old English sinder (“cinder, dross, slag, scoria, dross of iron, impurity of metal”), from Proto-Germanic *sindrą, *sindraz (“dross, cinder, slag”), from Proto-Indo-European *sendʰro- (“coagulating fluid, liquid slag, scale, cinder”). Cognate with Scots sinder (“ember, cinder”), West Frisian sindel, sintel (“cinder, slag”), Dutch sintel (“cinder, ember, slag”), Middle Low German sinder, sinter (“cinder, slag”), 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 (sędra, “lime cinder, gypsum”). Spelling (c- for s-) influenced by unrelated French cendre (“ashes”).

• Rhymes: -ɪndə(r)

cinder (plural cinders)

1. Partially or mostly burnt material that results from incomplete combustion of coal or wood etc.
2. An ember.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Jonathan Swift to this entry?)

3. Slag from a metal furnace.
4. (dated, colloquial) Any strong stimulant added to tea, soda water, etc.

cinder (third-person singular simple present cinders, present participle cindering, simple past and past participle cindered)

1. (transitive) to reduce something to cinders

• Cinderella
• scoria

• Nerdic, crined