Flint

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Flint

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

FLINT  /flɪnt/

Definition

A hard grey rock, a form of chert, that produces sparks when struck against steel and was used in prehistoric times to make tools and weapons; a small piece of flint or hard alloy used in a lighter to produce sparks.

Plain meaning

A very hard grey stone that makes sparks when struck — used for millions of years to make fire, tools, and weapons. Today, the small spark-producing piece in a cigarette lighter.

Register

Neutral. Archaeological, geological, and historical in its primary sense. Figurative use — flinty, flint-eyed — carries connotations of hardness, toughness, and uncompromising quality.