A tool for starting a Fire by friction, made of a small wooden or paper stick tipped with an ignitable compound. Safety matches appeared in the 19th century and spread widely as a household ignition device.
The lighter was invented before the match. In 1823, German chemist Döbereiner created the first lighter using hydrogen from a zinc-sulfuric acid reaction. The friction match wasn't invented until 1827, four years later, by English chemist John Walker.