candle
a long, usually slender piece of tallow or wax with an embedded wick that is burned to give light.
something resembling a candle in appearance or use.
Optics.
(formerly) candela.
Also called in·ter·na·tion·al can·dle [in-ter-nash-uh-nl kan-dl, -nash-nl] /ˈɪn tərˌnæʃ ə nl ˈkæn dl, -ˌnæʃ nl/ . 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.
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. Abbreviation: c., c
to examine (eggs) for freshness, fertility, etc., by holding them up to a bright light.
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.
Idioms about candle
burn the / one's candle at both ends. burn1 (def. 56).
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.
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.
Origin of candle
1Other words from candle
- can·dler, noun
- un·can·dled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use candle in a sentence
He gazed at the flowers and the flickering candles, clearly moved.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops | Michael Daly | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSomebody had hung an American flag and people of the neighborhood had placed bouquets and candles.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops | Michael Daly | December 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDee Dee candles, rosaries, shirts and prints are offered for sale near the gallery's door as a kind of consolation.
‘All Good Cretins Go to Heaven’: Dee Dee Ramone’s Twisted Punk Paintings | Melissa Leon | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen it turned night, the seven dwarfs returned home from their work and lit their seven little candles.
In New Brothers Grimm 'Snow White', The Prince Doesn't Save Her | The Brothers Grimm | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTYou can now find her hooded image on cars, necklaces, votive candles, tattoos, and altars across Mexico and the United States.
America’s Fastest Growing Death Holiday Is From Mexico | Michael Schulson | November 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Immediately Messa went up the stairs, and safely reached a large room where two candles were burning on a buffet.
She carried one of the candles over to the cheval-glass and held it above her head, close to her face, low on either side.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonIn shape it is curved, like those things for candles attached to upright pianos, but with a weighted foot to hold it firm.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayThrough a dark room they passed, very softly, first, a little light under the door showed that there were candles in the next.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le FanuThe priest of Nicaragua with solemn mien strides up the aisle and lights the altar candles with the fire struck from his cigar.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
British Dictionary definitions for candle
/ (ˈkændəl) /
a cylindrical piece of wax, tallow, or other fatty substance surrounding a wick, which is burned to produce light
physics
another name for candela
burn the candle at both ends to exhaust oneself, esp by being up late and getting up early to work
not hold a candle to informal to be inferior or contemptible in comparison with: your dog doesn't hold a candle to mine
not worth the candle informal not worth the price or trouble entailed (esp in the phrase the game's not worth the candle)
(tr) to examine (eggs) for freshness or the likelihood of being hatched by viewing them against a bright light
Origin of candle
1Derived forms of candle
- candler, noun
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with candle
see burn the candle at both ends; game is not worth the candle; hold a candle to.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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