SCONCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sconce mean? 

• SCONCE (noun)
  The noun SCONCE has 4 senses:

1. a shelter or screen providing protection from enemy fire or from the weather

2. a small fort or earthwork defending a ford, pass, or castle gate

3. a candle or flaming torch secured in a sconce

4. a decorative wall bracket for holding candles or other sources of light

  Familiarity information: SCONCE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SCONCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A shelter or screen providing protection from enemy fire or from the weather

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

shelter (a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger)

shelter (protective covering that provides protection from the weather)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A small fort or earthwork defending a ford, pass, or castle gate

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

earthwork (an earthen rampart)

fort; fortress (a fortified defensive structure)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A candle or flaming torch secured in a sconce

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

light; light source (any device serving as a source of illumination)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A decorative wall bracket for holding candles or other sources of light

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

bracket; wall bracket (a support projecting from a wall (as to hold a shelf))