antifire
|an-ti-fire|
🇺🇸
/ˈæntiˌfaɪər/
🇬🇧
/ˈæntiˌfaɪə/
against fire / prevents burning
Etymology
'antifire' is formed from the combining element 'anti-' and the English word 'fire'; 'anti-' ultimately comes from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against', attached to modern English 'fire'.
The element 'anti-' has been used in English since the 17th–18th century to form compounds meaning 'against' or 'opposed to'. The compound 'antifire' appears in technical and industrial contexts in the 19th–20th century as a coined compound meaning 'against fire' or 'fire-preventing'.
Initially a literal compound meaning 'against fire', it came to be used as a technical term for materials or treatments that resist or retard fire, a usage that has persisted.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance, material, or treatment used to prevent or retard fire (i.e., a fire-retardant).
They applied an antifire to the timber beams before installation.
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Adjective 1
resistant to fire or designed to prevent, slow, or resist ignition and burning.
The building was coated with an antifire paint to slow the spread of flames.
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Last updated: 2025/09/01 05:44