A match is a
consumable tool for lighting a fire under controlled
circumstances on demand. Matches are readily available, being
sold by tobacconists and many other kinds of shops. Matches are
rarely sold singly; they are sold in multiples, packaged in
match boxes or matchbooks. A match is typically a wooden stick
(usually sold in match boxes) or stiff paper stick (usually sold
in matchbooks) coated at one end (the match head) with a
material often containing the element phosphorus, which will
ignite from the heat of friction if rubbed ("struck") against a
suitable surface.
There are two main types of matches: safety matches, which can
be struck only against a specially prepared surface; and
strike-anywhere matches, for which any solid surface can be
used.
Match-type compositions may also be used to produce electric
matches, which are fired electrically. These items do not rely
on the heat of friction.
History of the term match >>
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Match
History of
the term match
History of the modern
match
Friction matches
Special purpose matches
Matchbooks
Fires due to
lit matches
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