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
Sometimes a lot of eggs is candled several times and the bad ones removed, before it reaches the last dealer who handles it.
Our Domestic Birds | John H. RobinsonSeparators should be carefully "candled" — placed in front of a light and looked through.
The Automobile Storage Battery | O. A. WitteThese he candled in his house cellar and began selling them to a limited trade in the wealthy section of the city.
The Dollar Hen | Milo M. HastingsScudamore stood with his urgent despatches in the large well-candled hall, and vainly desired to deliver them.
Springhaven | R. D. BlackmoreThis is an excellent way to learn to know how good and bad eggs look when they are being candled.
Every Step in Canning | Grace Viall Gray
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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