Editing Match (section)

==Etymology==
The word ''match'' derives from Old French ''mèche'', referring to the [[Candle wick|wick]] of a candle.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kugqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA428|title=Etymologicon universale: or, Universal etymological dictionary|volume=2|page=428|author=Whiter W|author-link=Walter Whiter|year=1825|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217115239/https://books.google.com/books?id=kugqAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA428&pg=PA428#v=onepage&q&f=true|archive-date=17 February 2017}}</ref>
Historically, the term ''match'' referred to lengths of [[rope|cord]] (later [[cambric]]) impregnated with chemicals, and allowed to burn continuously.<ref name=oxford/> These were used to light fires and fire [[gun]]s (see [[matchlock]]) and [[cannon]]s (see [[linstock]])<ref>{{cite book|author=Sawyer, C. W.|year=1910|title=Firearms in American history 1600–1800|url=https://archive.org/stream/firearmsinameric01sawyrich#page/4/mode/2up/|page=5|publisher=Boston, The author }}</ref> and to detonate [[explosive devices]] such as [[dynamite]] sticks. Such matches were characterised by their burning speed i.e. ''[[quick match]]'' and ''[[slow match]]''. Depending on its formulation, a slow match burns at a rate of around 30&nbsp;cm (1&nbsp;ft) per hour and a quick match at {{convert|4|to|60|cm|in|0}} per minute.

The modern equivalent of a match (in the sense of a burnable cord) is the simple [[fuse (explosives)|fuse]] such as a [[visco fuse]], still used in [[pyrotechnics]] to obtain a controlled time delay before ignition.<ref name=explosives>{{cite book|title=Explosives|author=Barnett, E. de Barry|editor=Rideal, Samuel|url=https://archive.org/stream/explosives00barnrich#page/n181/mode/1up|pages=158, 162–170|year=1919|place=New York|publisher=D. Van Nostrand Co.}}</ref> The original meaning of the word still persists in some pyrotechnics terms, such as ''[[black match]]'' (a [[black powder|black-powder]]-impregnated fuse) and ''Bengal match'' (a [[firework]] akin to [[sparkler]]s producing a relatively long-burning, colored flame). However, when friction matches became commonplace, the term ''match'' came to refer mainly to these.