fire-retardant
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of fire-retardant
First recorded in 1910–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The ferocity of the fire has been blamed on a private contractor’s use of highly-flammable materials including polystyrene foam boards placed over windows and substandard scaffolding netting that failed to meet fire-retardant codes.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025
Calligar’s company creates insulated concrete panels that are made with fire-retardant foam sandwiched between two wire-mesh faces, which are, in turn, wrapped in concrete.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025
Mitigations included the further covering of the asbestos-containing material, the use of fire-retardant material and the erection of additional fencing.
From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are fire-retardant chemicals that are found everywhere -- upholstery, carpets, curtains, electronics, and even infant products.
From Science Daily • Nov. 22, 2024
“But it’s not for a fixed safe, I don’t think. Nothing too big. Maybe something portable. Could be a safe-deposit box, actually. An old one. Or some kind of fire-retardant cabinet.”
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
