hold a candle to
dl noun
1.
a long, usually slender piece of tallow or wax with an embedded wick that is burned to give light.
2.
something resembling a candle in appearance or use.
3.
Optics.
a.
(formerly) candela.
b.
Also called international candle. 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.
c.
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
verb (used with object)
4.
to examine (eggs) for freshness, fertility, etc., by holding them up to a bright light.
5.
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.
00:10
Hold a candle to
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
6.
7.
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.
8.
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:
before 900; Middle English, Old English candel < Latin candēla, equivalent to cand(ēre) to shine + -ēla deverbal noun suffix; see candid
before 900; Middle English, Old English candel < Latin candēla, equivalent to cand(ēre) to shine + -ēla deverbal noun suffix; see candid
Related forms
can·dler, noun
un·can·dled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
candle (ˈkændəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a cylindrical piece of wax, tallow, or other fatty substance surrounding a wick, which is burned to produce light |
| 2. | physics |
| a. See international candle | |
| b. another name for candela | |
| 3. | burn the candle at both ends to exhaust oneself, esp by being up late and getting up early to work |
| 4. | informal not hold a candle to to be inferior or contemptible in comparison with: your dog doesn't hold a candle to mine |
| 5. | informal not worth the candle not worth the price or trouble entailed (esp in the phrase the game's not worth the candle) |
| —vb | |
| 6. | (tr) to examine (eggs) for freshness or the likelihood of being hatched by viewing them against a bright light |
| [Old English candel, from Latin candēla, from candēre to be white, glitter] | |
| 'candler | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
candle
O.E. candel "lamp, lantern, candle," an early ecclesiastical borrowing from L. candela "a light, torch, candle made of tallow or wax," from candere "to shine," from PIE base *kand- "to glow, to shine, to shoot out light" (cf. Skt. cand- "to give light, shine," candra- "shining, glowing, moon;" Gk. kandaros
"coal;" Welsh cann "white;" M.Ir. condud "fuel"). Candles were unknown in ancient Greece (where oil lamps sufficed), but common from early times among Romans and Etruscans. Candles on birthday cakes seems to have been originally a German custom. To hold a candle to originally meant "to help in a subordinate capacity." To burn the candle at both ends is recorded from 1730.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
candle can·dle (kān'dl)
n.
See candela.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Candle definition
Heb. ner, Job 18:6; 29:3; Ps. 18:28; Prov. 24:20, in all which places the Revised Version and margin of Authorized Version have "lamp," by which the word is elsewhere frequently rendered. The Hebrew word denotes properly any kind of candle or lamp or torch. It is used as a figure of conscience (Prov. 20:27), of a Christian example (Matt. 5:14, 15), and of prosperity (Job 21:17; Prov. 13:9).
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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