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Webster 1913 Edition


Kindle

Kin′dle

,
Verb.
T.
&
I.
[OE.
kindlen
,
cundlen
. See
Kind
.]
To bring forth young.
[Obs.]
Shak.
The poor beast had but lately
kindled
.
Holland.

Kinˊdle

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Kindled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Kindling
.]
[Icel.
kyndill
candle, torch; prob. fr. L.
candela
; cf. also Icel.
kynda
to kindle. Cf.
Candle
.]
1.
To set on fire; to cause to burn with flame; to ignite; to cause to begin burning; to start; to light;
as, to
kindle
a match, or shavings
.
His breath
kindleth
coals.
Job xii. 21.
2.
Fig.: To inflame, as the passions; to rouse; to provoke; to excite to action; to heat; to fire; to animate; to incite;
as, to
kindle
anger or wrath; to
kindle
the flame of love, or love into a flame
.
So is a contentious man to
kindle
strife.
Prov. xxvi. 21.
Nothing remains but that I
kindle
the boy thither.
Shakespeare
Kindling
her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam.
Milton.
Syn. – Enkindle; light; ignite; inflame; provoke; excite; arouse; stir up.

Kin′dle

(kĭn′d’l)
,
Verb.
I.
1.
To take fire; to begin to burn with flame; to start as a flame.
When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle
upon thee.
Is. xliii. 2.
2.
(Fig.)
:
To begin to be excited; to grow warm or animated; to be roused or exasperated.
On all occasions where forbearance might be called for, the Briton
kindles
, and the Christian gives way.
I. Taylor.

Webster 1828 Edition


Kindle

KIN'DLE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. accendo; from the root of candeo, caneo, to be light or white, to shine.]
1.
To set on fire; to cause to burn with flame; to light; as, to kindle a fire.
2.
To inflame, as the passions; to exasperate; to rouse; to provoke; to excite to action; to heat; to fire; to animate; as, to kindle anger or wrath; to kindle resentment; to kindle the flame of love, or love into a flame.
So is a contentious woman to kindle strife. Prov.26.
3.
To bring forth.

KIN'DLE

,
Verb.
I.
To take fire; to begin to burn with flame. Fuel and fire well laid, will kindle without a bellows.
1.
To begin to rage, or be violently excited; to be roused or exasperated.
It shall kindle in the thickets of the forest. Is.9.

Definition 2024


kindle

kindle

English

Verb

kindle (third-person singular simple present kindles, present participle kindling, simple past and past participle kindled)

  1. (intransitive, of a rabbit or hare) To bring forth young; to give birth.
    • 2014, Karen Patry, The Rabbit-Raising Problem Solver, Storey Publishing (ISBN 9781612124667), page 146
      If she kindled and lost just a few kits and is not bony over her back and hind end, you can rebreed immediately. If she kindled a large litter (more than, say, eight kits), you may wish to wait a week or two before rebreeding so that she can  ...
    • Holland
      The poor beast had but lately kindled.

Noun

kindle (plural kindles)

  1. (rare, collective) A group of kittens.
    A kindle of kittens.
Hypernyms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English kindlen, from Old Norse kynda (to inflame), from Proto-Germanic *kundijaną.

Verb

kindle (third-person singular simple present kindles, present participle kindling, simple past and past participle kindled)

  1. (transitive) To start (a fire) or light (a torch, a match, coals, etc.).
    • 1841, Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales, page 336:
      If a person kindle a fire in the house of another person, let him pay for the house to the owner, if it be burned.
    • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4
      And then it was that I first perceived the danger in which I stood; for there was no hope of kindling a light, and I doubted now whether even in the light I could ever have done much to dislodge the great slab of slate.
    • 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
      Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame.
  2. (transitive, figuratively) To arouse or inspire (a passion, etc).
    He kindled an enthusiasm for the project in his fellow workers.
  3. (intransitive, figuratively) To begin to grow or take hold.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations

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