A self-igniting match, ie. one which could be lit by striking on any surface (as opposed to safety matches which only light against the material on the side of the box)
1915: While you've a lucifer to light your fag,Smile, boys, that's the style. — George Asaf, song Pack up your Troubles.
the Devil. In classical mythology, the morning star (the planet Venus at dawn), personified as a male figure. Lucifer (Latin: "Light-Bearer") carried a torch and served as herald of the dawn. In Christian times, Lucifer came to be regarded as the name of Satan before his fall; it was thus used by John Milton in Paradise Lost
{i} rebellious archangel who cast from heaven, Satan; morning star, planet Venus when seen in the sky before sunrise
A match made of a sliver of wood tipped with a combustible substance, and ignited by friction; called also lucifer match, and locofoco
lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction; "he always carries matches to light his pipe"
One of the followers of Lucifer, bishop of Cagliari, in the fourth century, who separated from the orthodox churches because they would not go as far as he did in opposing the Arians