lontje

Lontje is a Dutch noun with several related meanings. The most common sense refers to a wick, the string that burns to sustain a flame in candles, oil lamps, or similar devices. The wick is typically made of braided fiber and sits in the fuel; it draws liquid upward by capillary action and is lit at the tip. In everyday language, “lontje” can denote the wick itself or the end of the wick that is trimmed before lighting.

In figurative use, the expression “een kort lontje hebben” describes someone with a short temper, literally a short fuse. This idiom is widely used in the Netherlands and Flanders and reflects the metaphor of a wick that burns quickly.

A less common, technical sense uses “lontje” as a diminutive of “lont” to denote a small fuse, as used in fireworks or blasting charges. In this context the term appears mainly in specialized or historical texts; the more general term remains “lont.”

Etymology and usage notes: “lontje” derives from “lont” with the diminutive suffix -je, indicating a smaller or younger version of the thing. The word is used in both Dutch and Flemish varieties of the language. Pronunciation is approximately LOHNT-yuh.