matchstick

American  

[mach-stik] / ˈmætʃˌstɪk /

noun

1. a short, slender piece of flammable wood used in making matches. match.

2. something that suggests a matchstick, as in thinness or fragility.

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matchstick British  

/ ˈmætʃˌstɪk /

noun

1. the wooden part of a match

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adjective

1. made with or as if with matchsticks

   a matchstick model

2. (esp of figures drawn with single strokes) thin and straight

   matchstick men

Etymology

Origin of matchstick

First recorded in 1785–95; match ¹ + stick ¹

Example Sentences

A French model-enthusiast who wanted to beat the world record for a matchstick Eiffel Tower has had his hopes dashed.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2024

“Walk Ventura’s beaches and, in the distance, it wavers like a child’s matchstick project,” the bureau states on its website.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024

“A matchstick — or any fire — is doing the same thing,” said Issac Sanchez, a battalion chief for communications at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2022

In the eastern province of Camarines Sur, a light tower snapped like a matchstick in a video posted on Facebook by a local member of congress.

From Washington Post • Nov. 1, 2020

Their Dad did a trick for George with a matchstick and a handkerchief.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers