candle

[kan-dl]

noun

1. a long, usually slender piece of tallow or wax with an embedded wick that is burned to give light.

2. something resembling a candle in appearance or use.

3. Optics.

   1. (formerly) candela.

   2. Also called international candle. a unit of luminous intensity, defined as a fraction of the luminous intensity of a group of 45 carbon-filament lamps: used from 1909 to 1948 as the international standard.

   3. a unit of luminous intensity, equal to the luminous intensity of a wax candle of standard specifications: used prior to 1909 as the international standard. c., c

verb (used with object)

candled, candling 

1. to examine (eggs) for freshness, fertility, etc., by holding them up to a bright light.

2. to hold (a bottle of wine) in front of a lighted candle while decanting so as to detect sediment and prevent its being poured off with the wine.

candle

/ ˈkændəl /

noun

1. a cylindrical piece of wax, tallow, or other fatty substance surrounding a wick, which is burned to produce light

2. physics

   1. See international candle

   2. another name for candela

3. to exhaust oneself, esp by being up late and getting up early to work

4. informal,  to be inferior or contemptible in comparison with

   your dog doesn't hold a candle to mine

5. informal,  not worth the price or trouble entailed (esp in the phrase the game's not worth the candle )

verb

1. (tr) to examine (eggs) for freshness or the likelihood of being hatched by viewing them against a bright light

Other Word Forms

• candler noun
• uncandled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of candle¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English candel, candle, condel, Old English candel, condel, from Latin candēla, equivalent to cand(ēre) “to shine, gleam white” + -ēla noun suffix; candid

Word History and Origins

Origin of candle¹

Old English candel, from Latin candēla, from candēre to be white, glitter

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hold a candle to, to compare favorably with (usually used in the negative).

   She's smart, but she can't hold a candle to her sister.

2. burn the / one's candle at both ends. burn.

3. worth the candle, worth the trouble or effort involved (usually used in the negative).

   Trying to win them over to your viewpoint is not worth the candle.

see burn the candle at both ends; game is not worth the candle; hold a candle to.

Example Sentences

He described it as a bioethanol fireplace that does not need a chimney flue, where liquid is poured on to a cotton gauze to create a "candle effect".

From BBC

As they held up candles and cellphone lights, Young reminded them that “darkness never has the last word.”

From Los Angeles Times

More than a hundred people lined up with flowers, candles and flags, waiting for their turn to place them before a memorial that centered on a larger-than-life photo of Kirk.

From Los Angeles Times

But back then, pictures of Epstein and Lord Mandelson trying on belts in a clothes shop, and blowing out candles on a birthday cake were in the public domain.

From BBC

In other instances, candle wax has damaged some of the internal stones, along with burnt incense sticks leaving thick soot which has blackened some stones beyond cleaning.

From BBC

Related Words

• torch