pyrophoric

 [pahy-ruh-fawr-ik, -for-]  

py·ro·phor·ic

   [pahy-ruh-fawr-ik, -for-]
adjective Chemistry.
capable of igniting spontaneously in air.
Origin:
1830–40; < Greek pyrophór(os) fire-bearing (see pyro-, -phorous) + -ic
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Pyrophoric is always a great word to know.
So is halogen. Does it mean:
rapid oxidation accompanied by heat and light, or a chemical combination attended by production of heat and light
any of the electronegative elements, fluorine, chlorine, iodine, bromine, and astatine, that form binary salts by direct union with metals
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Collins
World English Dictionary
pyrophoric (ˌpaɪrəʊˈfɒrɪk)
 
—adj
1.  (of a chemical) igniting spontaneously on contact with air
2.  (of an alloy) producing sparks when struck or scraped: lighter flints are made of pyrophoric alloy
 
[C19: from New Latin pyrophorus, from Greek purophoros fire-bearing, from pur fire + pherein to bear]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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