Definition of "matchstick" in English

noun

1. A small, slender piece of wood or cardboard serving as a component of a match.

   • A piece of wood or cardboard becomes a matchstick once the end has been dipped in a sulfurous compound to turn it into a complete match.

2. (chiefly in the plural) Any similarly small and thin piece.

   • The explosion blew the powder shed to matchsticks.