the.com/incendiary
A word that means literally on fire and figuratively too dangerous to say at dinner.
means Describing something that causes fire, or figuratively, something designed to stir up conflict, anger, or unrest.
from From Latin 'incendiarius,' meaning 'one who sets fire,' built on 'incendere,' to set alight or kindle — itself from 'in-' (into) plus 'candere,' to glow or shine white-hot. That same glowing 'candere' lights up 'candle' and 'candid,' so a candle, an honest confession, and a thrown firebomb all share a smoldering root. English borrowed it for literal arsonists first, then warmed to its figurative use for words and people who inflame a crowd.
- Latin root
- From incendere, to set ablaze or kindle
- Military life
- Incendiary bombs are designed to start fires, not explode
- Double duty
- Describes arson and inflammatory speeches alike
- Magnesium burn
- Incendiary devices can reach 4000 degrees Fahrenheit
reichstag fire — berlin parliament building burned february 27, 1933, used by nazis to justify emergency powers
dresden bombing — allied firebombing of german city february 13-15, 1945, killed 25,000+ civilians
napalm in vietnam — us military deployed burning gel across vietnamese countryside 1965-1973, causing mass civilian casualties