candle

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“
As soon as the candle was alight I felt braver, and I looked out of the door before going into the passage.

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Definitions (44)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (5)

  1. noun A solid, usually cylindrical mass of tallow, wax, or other fatty substance with an axially embedded wick that is burned to provide light.
  2. noun Something resembling this object in shape or use.
  3. noun Physics An obsolete unit of luminous intensity, originally defined in terms of a wax candle with standard composition and equal to 1.02 candelas. Also called international candle.
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Examples (50)

  • Had she lingered at the window a moment longer, she would have seen the shadows come creeping across his room in the instant before the candle was abruptly snuffed. —  NOBODY'S DARLING
  • But in the old man's room a candle was alight, and the flickering flame, vying with the livid, dying day, made the heavy darkness of the room more oppressive. —  Jean-Christophe, Vol. I
  • The lighting of a candle is a physical action that is not necessary in our Christian prayers. —  The Obnoxious 5xmom
  • Will that do thee a bit of good, eh Clarice had an instinctive feeling, that while the rosary and the candle might be a doubtful good, the rough tenderness of her father was a positive one. —  A Forgotten Hero Not for Him
  • At the top of the candle are a few short branches, on which grow a few stiff crinkly leaves and small yellow flowers, which produce the edible fruit. —  Southern Arabia
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English candel, from Old English and from Anglo-Norman candele, both from Latin candēla, from candēre, to shine; see kand- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Middle English candel, candele, from Anglo-Saxon candel = French chandelle = Provencal Spanish candela = Portuguese candea = Italian candela = Walloon candel = Old Irish cainel, cainnel, Irish coinneal = Gaelic coinnell= Welsh canwyll = Old Bulgarian kanǔdilo, Bulgarian kundilo = Servian kandilo = Russian kandilo, kandelǐ = New Greek κανδήλα = Arabic qandīl (later Turkish qandīl, Spanish candil, a lamp), from Latin candela, a candle, from candere, be white, bright, shining: see candid. Hence (through F.) chandler, chandelier, chandry, etc.
 

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/ˈkændl/
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