safety match

IPA/ˈseɪfti mætʃ/
IPA/ˈseɪfti mætʃ/

safety match — noun

1. a short piece of wood or cardboard whose chemical tip catches fire only when you

1.名詞B1
釋義

a short piece of wood or cardboard whose chemical tip catches fire only when you rub it across the rough strip on the matchbox

例句

Stefan struck a safety match against the matchbox, and a small flame appeared.

strike + against [surface] — the ignition pattern

Maeve always kept a box of safety matches in her kitchen drawer for lighting candles.

collocation: a box of safety matches

同義詞
  • match

    a broader term; all safety matches are matches, but not all matches are safety matches

  • strike-anywhere match

    a different type that can be lit on any rough surface — the opposite of a safety match

反義詞

文法句型

a box/pack of safety matches

用法筆記

Safety matches are designed so that they ignite only when rubbed against the special strip on their box. This makes them safer than 'strike-anywhere' matches, which can ignite from friction against any rough surface. The singular form (a safety match) is possible but less common than the plural (safety matches) when referring to a box or pack.

常見錯誤

❌I lit the fire with a safety matches.
✅I lit the fire with safety matches.
💡use the plural form when referring to matches in general.
❌He rubbed the safety match on the wall to light it.
✅He rubbed the safety match on the rough strip of the box to light it.
💡safety matches only ignite on the specially prepared surface, not any surface.