flash point: Meaning and Definition of

flash' point"

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the lowest temperature at which a liquid in a specified apparatus will give off sufficient vapor to ignite momentarily on application of a flame.
  2. a critical point or stage at which something or someone suddenly causes or creates some significant action: A 10 percent drop in mortgage rates will produce a flash point in the housing market.
  3. a critical situation or area having the potential of erupting in sudden violence: The Mideast has been the flash point for a series of conflicts.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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