touchwood

[ tuhch-woo d ]

/ ˈtʌtʃˌwʊd /

wood converted into an easily ignitible substance by the action of certain fungi, and used as tinder; punk.

Mycology. amadou.

Origin of touchwood

First recorded in 1570–80; touch + wood¹

Mr. Touchwood scorned to listen to such an insinuation until the fated hour arrived, and brought with it no Mr. Cargill.

St. Ronan's Well |Sir Walter Scott
“A drizzling morning, good madam,” said Mr. Touchwood, as with a view of sounding what sort of company he had got into.

St. Ronan's Well |Sir Walter Scott
But prolonged drought had rendered everything as dry as touchwood.

Saddle and Mocassin |Francis Francis Jr.
The girls picked up Raymonde out of a cloud of dust and a mass of touchwood.

The Madcap of the School |Angela Brazil

The tin was there so that we could make a fire in it of paper and touchwood.

A Little Fleet |Jack B. Yeats

touchwood

/ (ˈtʌtʃˌwʊd) /

something, esp dry wood or fungus material such as amadou, used as tinder

C16: touch (in the sense: to kindle) + wood 1