sconce

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Definitions (25)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun A small defensive earthwork or fort.
  2. noun A decorative wall bracket for holding candles or lights.
  3. noun A flattened candlestick that has a handle.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (15)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

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Examples

  • A passage in Whitefield's Diary shows that the sconce was often greater. —  Life Of Johnson
  • Teferi withdrew his powerstone from the sconce, and immediately the hall was plunged into darkness. —  Time Streams
  • The mist extinguished the torch in the sconce, then Trapspringer's as well. —  Kendermore
  • Hamylt lit a single lamp in a wall sconce, then turned. —  Soarer's Choice
  • The man lost him, but only for an instant. —  The Fire In His Hands
 

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Sconce has been looked up 269 times, favorited once, listed 19 times, and commented on once.

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Etymologies (5)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. Dutch schans, from German Schanze, from Middle High German.
  2. Middle English, from Old French esconse, lantern, hiding place, from Medieval Latin scōnsa, from Latin abscōnsa, feminine past participle of abscondere, to hide away : ab-, abs-, away; see ab-1 + condere, to preserve; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. Early modern English also sconse, skonce, scons, from Middle English sconse, sconce, skonce, scons, a lantern, candlestick, = Icelandic skons, a dark lantern, skonsa. a dark nook; from Old French esconse, esconce, a dark lantern, French dial. econse, a lantern, from Middle Latin absconsa (also absconsum), also (after Roman) sconsa, a dark lantern, feminine (and neuter) of Latin absconsus, past participle of abscondere, hide away: see abscond. Cf. sconce.
  2. Early modern English also sconse, skonce; = Middle Dutch schantse, Dutch schans = Middle Low German schantze, a fortress, sconce, = late Middle High German schanze, a bundle of twigs, intrenchment, German schanze, German dial. schanz, bulwark, fortification (later Italian scancia, bookcase), = Danish skandse, fort, quarter-deck, = Swedish skans, fort, sconce, steerage, from Old French esconse, esconce, feminine, escons, masculine, a hiding-place, a retreat, from Latin absconsa, feminine, absconsum, neuter, past participle of abscondere (reg. past participle absconditus), hide: see abscond. Cf sconce, from the same source.
  3. from sconce, n.
 

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/skɑns/
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