sconce

¹ American  

[skons] / skɒns /

noun

1. a bracket for candles or other lights, placed on a wall, mirror, picture frame, etc.

2. the hole or socket of a candlestick, for holding the candle.

---

sconce ² American  

[skons] / skɒns /

noun

1. Fortification. a small detached fort or defense work, as to defend a pass, bridge, etc.

2. a protective screen or shelter.

---

verb (used with object)

sconced, sconcing

1. Fortification. to protect with a sconce.

2. Obsolete. to protect; shelter.

sconce ³ American  

[skons] / skɒns /

verb (used with object)

sconced, sconcing

1. (at English universities, especially formerly) to fine (an undergraduate) for a breach of rules or etiquette.

---

noun

1. a fine so imposed.

sconce ⁴ American  

[skons] / skɒns /

noun

1. the head or skull.

2. sense or wit.

---

sconce ¹ British  

/ skɒns /

verb

1. to challenge (a fellow student) on the grounds of a social misdemeanour to drink a large quantity of beer without stopping

2. obsolete to fine (a student) for some minor misdemeanour

---

noun

1. the act of sconcing

2. a mug or tankard used in sconcing

sconce ² British  

/ skɒns /

noun

1. a bracket fixed to a wall for holding candles or lights

2. a flat candlestick with a handle

---

sconce ³ British  

/ skɒns /

noun

1. the head or skull

2. sense, brain, or wit

---

sconce ⁴ British  

/ skɒns /

noun

1. a small protective fortification, such as an earthwork

---

Etymology

Origin of sconce¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sconce, sconse, from Old French esconce, or directly from Medieval Latin scōnsa, shortening of abscōnsa, noun use of feminine past participle of abscondere “to conceal”; see origin at abscond

Origin of sconce²

First recorded in 1565–75; from Dutch schans, from German Schanze “entrenchment, fieldwork,” originally “bundle of sticks or wood; fagot”; see ensconce ( def. )

Origin of sconce³

First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain

Origin of sconce⁴

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain

Explanation

A sconce is a wall-mounted candle holder or light fixture. The hallway in your house might be lit by an electric sconce on the wall. The noun sconce can be used in two ways. First, a light that hangs on a wall is a sconce, whether it's an electric light in a wall bracket or a flaming torch mounted in a castle's corridor. The other kind of sconce is a castle or city fortification that's meant to protect against both enemies and bad weather. Both kinds of sconce come from the Old French esconse, "lantern or hiding place," with the Latin root abscondere, "to hide."

Example Sentences

He flings his lunch against the wall, shattering a piece of Nancy Reagan’s china and leaving a trail of ketchup and hamburger grease on the wallpaper and faux gilt sconce recently procured from Home Depot.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

Upstairs in the living room, she repainted window frames, switched out a wall sconce, and added a projector screen.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

They installed the Vendome Visual Comfort double sconce from Circa Lighting in hand-rubbed antique brass above the TV screen, and, Meg Hoburg says, this was “the little detail that elevated the whole thing.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 21, 2022

Stenciled onto the adjacent wall next to an incongruously glowing sconce is eternity’s conundrum: “Heaven for weather, hell for company.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2022

Bran grasped a wall sconce with both hands and used it to pull himself up and out of the basket.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• confiscate
• levy
• punish