CANDLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does candle mean? 

• CANDLE (noun)
  The noun CANDLE has 2 senses:

1. stick of wax with a wick in the middle

2. the basic unit of luminous intensity adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites; equal to 1/60 of the luminous intensity per square centimeter of a black body radiating at the temperature of 2,046 degrees Kelvin

  Familiarity information: CANDLE used as a noun is rare.

• CANDLE (verb)
  The verb CANDLE has 1 sense:

1. examine eggs for freshness by holding them against a light

  Familiarity information: CANDLE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CANDLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Stick of wax with a wick in the middle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

candle; taper; wax light

Hypernyms ("candle" is a kind of...):

lamp (an artificial source of visible illumination)

Meronyms (parts of "candle"):

candlewick (the wick of a candle)

taper; wick (a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "candle"):

chandlery (candles and other commodities sold by a chandler)

dip (a candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow)

rush candle; rushlight (a tallow candle with a rush stem as the wick)

vigil candle; vigil light (a candle lighted by a worshiper in a church)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The basic unit of luminous intensity adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites; equal to 1/60 of the luminous intensity per square centimeter of a black body radiating at the temperature of 2,046 degrees Kelvin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

candela; candle; cd; standard candle

Hypernyms ("candle" is a kind of...):

candlepower unit; luminous intensity unit (a measure of luminous intensity)

Derivation:

candle (examine eggs for freshness by holding them against a light)

• CANDLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they candle    ... he / she / it candles   
Past simple: candled   
Past participle: candled   
-ing form: candling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Examine eggs for freshness by holding them against a light

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "candle" is one way to...):

examine; see (observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

candle (the basic unit of luminous intensity adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites; equal to 1/60 of the luminous intensity per square centimeter of a black body radiating at the temperature of 2,046 degrees Kelvin)

 Context examples 

Otherwise, the moon's shape would tend to even itself out over time, like warm candle wax.

(Ocean on Saturn moon could be as salty as the Dead Sea, NASA)

One night, being, as I suppose, inspired by love, he made a dart at the bit of wax-candle she kept for her thread, and put it in his waistcoat-pocket and carried it off.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Citronella oil is used for its aromatic properties in parfumary, cosmetics, candles and soaps, and as an insect repellant.

(Citronella Oil, NCI Thesaurus)

This foraging partnership was recorded in print as early as 1588, when a Portuguese missionary in what is now Mozambique observed a small brown bird slipping into his church to nibble his wax candles.

(How humans and wild Honeyguide birds call each other to help, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

“It is rather dark,” said he; “they forgot to build windows in this room to let the sun in; a candle would be no bad thing.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Stock up on flowers, a chilled bottle of champagne, and candles, and revel in your love as you ring in the New Year, 2020.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Then my mother got a candle in the bar, and holding each other's hands, we advanced into the parlour.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

But that evening, by the light of the fire and of a single candle, the first map of the lost world was elaborated.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I have found it all out," said he, setting his candle down on the washstand; "it is as I thought."

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Poole felt in his pocket and handed out a crumpled note, which the lawyer, bending nearer to the candle, carefully examined.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)