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Flour is not flammable, but it can be made to burn.

The word “flammable” has been used in a sentence in the US for decades to describe something that can be easily set on fire. But this week, an 11-year-old girl learned that the definition of flammable is actually much more complicated than that. When she was asked about whether flour was flammable during a science quiz at her school in Florida, she said no and lost points for her team. After her parents complained, the school district apologized and said the question was “poorly worded.”

The question was part of a science quiz administered by Ransom Everglades School in Miami. The student’s team had three points deducted because she answered “no” when asked if flour could catch fire.

“It’s a science quiz,” one parent told CBS Miami. “She knows what ‘flammable’ means.”

What does ‘flammable’ mean?

“Flammable” is defined as capable of burning or catching fire. It’s also defined as explosive under some conditions.

Is flour flammable?

According to most experts, no it isn’t.

“If you look up ‘flammability,’ it says that it’s combustible,” the girl’s father told CBS Miami. “But if you look up combustible, it says that it may not necessarily burn.”