candlenut

[ kan-dl-nuht ]

noun

the oily fruit or nut of a southeastern Asian tree, Aleurites moluccana, of the spurge family, the kernels of which when strung together are used locally as candles.
the tree itself.

Origin of candlenut

First recorded in 1850–55; candle + nut

Also called candleberry.

Words Nearby candlenut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use candlenut in a sentence

One or two candlenut torches dimly illumined the figures of the squatting women who remained.
White Shadows in the South Seas | Frederick O'Brien
The blue of the candlenut-ink, in bizzare designs upon body and legs, had turned a scaly greenish hue from age and kava excesses.
White Shadows in the South Seas | Frederick O'Brien
candlenut-bark gave a rich chocolate hue; scarlet was obtained from the mati-berries mixed with the leaves of the tou.
White Shadows in the South Seas | Frederick O'Brien
At first, the way is through a perfect forest of breadfruit, candlenut, and palm trees.
Our Little Hawaiian Cousin | Mary Hazelton Wade
The ama, the candlenut-tree, shed its oily nuts on the earth.
White Shadows in the South Seas | Frederick O'Brien

British Dictionary definitions for candlenut

candlenut

/ (ˈkændəlˌnʌt) /

noun

a euphorbiaceous tree, Aleurites mollucana, of tropical Asia and Polynesia
the nut of this tree, which yields an oil used in paints and varnishes. In their native regions the nuts are strung together and burned as candles

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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