[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/matchstick.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / matchstick

[← M](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/M/)

# matchstick

«matchstick» in Mova's school dictionary: **the thin wooden stick of a match, used to light fires** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a matchstick, matchsticks)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A matchstick is the thin wooden stick of a match, used to light fires. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#m1)

2) Used to describe something very thin: «matchstick arms», «matchstick men». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

Used in everyday life, craft (matchstick models), maths puzzles (move one matchstick to fix the sum) and pattern work (matchstick patterns: count sticks in a sequence). Safety: matches are for adults; never play with them.

### examples

- The model ship was made of matchsticks. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#x1)
- Move one matchstick to make the sum correct. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#x2)
- Each square in the pattern needs four matchsticks. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#x3)
- Keep matches away from small children. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#x4)
- He drew a matchstick man. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#x5)
- The burnt matchstick was put in water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/#x6)

### note

Countable. Maths pattern: a row of n squares made with matchsticks needs 3n + 1 sticks (1 square: 4; 2 squares: 7; 3 squares: 10).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «matchstick» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/matchstick/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.