ARSON, ARSONIST
NOUNS
1815 ► RED-COCK incendiary fire → Sc.
1930 ► TORCH JOB an act of arson → US sl.
NOUNS, PERSON
1560 ► MAKE-FIRE an incendiary → obs.
1869 ► FIRE-BUG an incendiary → colloq., orig. US
1898 ► BLUE CAT a person suspected of being an incendiary → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
20C.. ► ACCELERATOR an arsonist US criminals’ sl.
1911 ► BOUTEFEU an incendiary; one who ‘adds fuel to fire’ → Sc. (Bk.)
1938 ► TORCH an arsonist → US sl.
1977 ► PYRO a pyromaniac → sl.
1992 ► SPARK an arsonist on the payroll of a criminal gang → US criminals’ sl. (Bk.)
VERBS
1931 ► TORCH to commit arson; to deliberately set fire to something, esp. in order to claim insurance money → sl., orig. US
Lexicophilia 