The non-existant word!

I'm liking your thinking my good Doctor!

Still as always, this word has it weaknesses too. The main one is that it implies the object had never been on fire in the past. Using it in the meaning of 'not on fire':

'The building was now Fully Phlogistic despite the earlier petrol bombings.'

If it had been on fire in the past surely it couldn't be Fully Phlogistic!
That and the fact phlogiston isn't a real thing! haha!

I had another idea for a word: Incombustion.

Simply the opposite of combustion, you could say on object was undergoing incombustion, i.e. was not on fire!!

[edit on 12/5/2008 by GrooveCat]

reply to post by GrooveCat


Sorry to disappoint, but seeing as 'flammable' and 'inflammable' basically both mean the same thing, by analogy so would 'combustion' and 'incombustion'.

reply to post by pause4thought


Surely that's just being picky! Trying to ruin my day are we?! haha!

Could be right though... I think it's safe to say that this mystical word shall never be found, not by man nor machine, mortal nor god, professor nor child.

But let's not get too saddened by this humbling overtone of disappointment. At least we have a word to describe our fruitless search:

An Apt Term

Goodnight!

/thread

reply to post by GrooveCat


Don't worry - I wasn't trying to ruin your day. I was just hoping it might give you a minor headache before the penny dropped.

(Just look up incombustible.)

Ah, most sneaky of you!

If incombustible is a word i see no reason why incombustion shouldn't be!

Let the word of BTS be spread, the long held mystery is at last dead!

I do say I an experiencing some rather apt incombustion right now!

A noble quest with a noble end, to the Oxford dictionary this word I must send!

Have a good night ladies and gentlemen, I do hope you stay in a state of incombustion for the rest of your days!