Definition

A term used to describe materials that can catch fire and burn easily when exposed to air or friction.

Example

Certain metals are pyrophoric and can ignite spontaneously when they come into contact with oxygen.

Conversation

Did you know that some metals can be pyrophoric?

Really? I had no idea what that meant.

Yeah, it means they can spontaneously ignite in air.

That's kind of scary! I guess we should be careful with those.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Pyrophoric is formed from "pyro-" (from Greek "pur", meaning fire) and "phoric" (from Greek "phoros", meaning bearing or carrying). The word describes a substance that can ignite spontaneously in air, thus bearing the quality of fire.

Memory Tip

Think of 'fire' ('pyro-') and something that 'carries' or 'bears' that quality ('phoric') — that's why pyrophoric refers to materials that can ignite on their own.

Visually Confused Words