amadou

A1M3A1D2O1U1
/ˈæ.mə.duː/

noun

A spongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi, formerly used as a styptic and as tinder.

Similar
German tinder
OriginFrench amadou →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

nounamadou (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA spongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi, formerly used as a styptic and as tinder.

    Synonyms: German tinder

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA spongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi, formerly used as a styptic and as tinder.

Similar
German tinder

Origin

  1. Frenchamadou“tinder, lure, bait”
  2. Englishamadou

From French amadou (“tinder, lure, bait”), from amadouer (“to allure, caress”), perhaps from Icelandic mata (“to feed”), which is akin to English meat.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans vuurswam
  • vuurswamspongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
Finnish taula
  • taulaspongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
French amadou
  • amadouspongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
Polish hubka
  • hubkaspongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
Russian трут
  • трут (trut)spongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
Swedish fnöske
  • fnöskespongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
Turkish kav
  • kavspongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
Ukrainian трут, гу́бка
  • трут (trut)spongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
  • гу́бка (húbka)spongy, flammable substance prepared from bracket fungi
Cite this entry
APA

amadou. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amadou

MLA

“amadou.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amadou. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “amadou,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amadou.

Source: amadou on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.