matchstick

noun

match·​stick ˈmach-ˌstik How to pronounce matchstick (audio)
1
: a slender piece especially of wood from which a match is made
2
: something resembling a matchstick especially in slenderness
cut a carrot into matchsticks

Examples of matchstick in a Sentence

Cut the peppers into pieces the size of matchsticks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its 19th-century spire lit up like a matchstick against the darkling sky, its tip cracking and plunging through the ceiling. Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024 Pair it with these extra-long matchsticks for the perfect finishing touch. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 25 Nov. 2024 The blade was plenty sharp enough to make matchsticks out of oak. Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 20 Nov. 2024 The dead black spruce looked like a collection of giant burned matchsticks standing tall above the gray landscape as far as Jennifer Baltzer could see. Manuela Andreoni, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for matchstick 

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of matchstick was in 1791

Dictionary Entries Near matchstick

Cite this Entry

“Matchstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matchstick. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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