vigil light

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.

vigil light

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vigil light¹

First recorded in 1930–35