Flammable describes something that can catch fire and burn easily. It is often used on warning labels to show that a material is dangerous near heat or flames.
“Flammable” comes from Latin “flammare,” meaning “to set on fire,” from “flamma,” flame. It was promoted in modern English to replace “inflammable,” which confused people because the “in-” looked like “not.”
“Flammable” and “inflammable” actually mean the same thing, even though “in-” usually means “not” in English. Safety experts pushed “flammable” to avoid dangerous misunderstandings on labels.
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