sparker

noun

spark·​er ˈspär-kər 

plural sparkers

1

: something that produces a spark

especially : a device that produces a spark for lighting a torch, burner, etc.

There were still some matches left, but they were too precious to use unnecessarily. The only alternatives now were a welder's sparker and a magnifying glass.

—M. K. Wren

2

: something that sparks a feeling or activity

It's a very affordable project to do and the result is a conversation sparker too.

—Chrystal Johnson

Pink was the prevalent shade of the night, with Gemma Chan, Angela Bassett … and even that tidy joy sparker herself, Marie Kondo, choosing the happy hue.

—Michele Parente

Examples of sparker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fans were quick to notice the sparker on her ring finger. —Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 2 May 2023

Nolan's robust franchise-sparker continues to astonish, thanks largely to practical effects work and the director's expert melding of the art house and the multiplex. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2023

The album is not only a masterpiece of creativity but also a sparker of it. —Vogue, 9 Nov. 2022

The plate then converts water into oxy-hydrogen (a combustible gas that used to be widely used) which ignites a sparker, shooting the robot into the air. —Lauren Sigfusson, Discover Magazine, 26 Oct. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1