Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

need-fire

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.21 in modern English

Syllables: need--fire
IPA

12

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A ritual fire created by friction.

Example Sentences

"In Silesia, also, need-fires were often employed for the purpose of curing a murrain or preventing its spread."
"Fire - divided into need-fire (kindled by friction - discussed under 'Waluburg's Night') and 'struck fire' (sparked by flint and steel - discussion under Thonar)."
"I built up the kindling in various stages in the base of the stove as I prepared to make my need-fire."
"When great pestilence is upon the land, old folklore tells of using a bow drill to make the need-fire, which is then used to cure cattle of their illness."

Etymology

Cognate to German Notfeuer.

Inflected Forms

need-fires (plural) needfire (alternative)

Questions

What does need-fire mean?: A ritual fire created by friction.
Where does need-fire come from?: Cognate to German Notfeuer.

How to pronounce need-fire

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “need-fire”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “need-fire”.
Repeat and practice — Say “need-fire” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.