vigil light

American  

noun

1. a small candle in a church lighted as a devotional act.

2. a candle or small light kept burning before a shrine, icon, etc.

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vigil light British  

noun

1. a small candle lit as an act of personal devotion before a shrine or statue, usually in a church

2. a small lamp kept permanently burning before such a shrine or statue

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Etymology

Origin of vigil light

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

But to keep the vigil light flickering, a group of his wealthy friends met in New York last week to organize a Draft Stevenson committee.

From Time Magazine Archive

The vigil light no longer contained oil but was an electric bulb.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

A coldness passing through its root-beer-colored bricks, invading its rooms and blowing out the vigil light burning in the hall.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides