candle

candle
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 root *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.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Candle — Can dle, n. [OE. candel, candel, AS, candel, fr. L. candela a (white) light made of wax or tallow, fr. cand[ e]re to be white. See {Candid}, and cf. {Chandler}, {Cannel}, {Kindle}.] 1. A slender, cylindrical body of tallow, containing a wick… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • candle — or candela or new candle or international candle [kan′dəl] n. [ME & OE candel < L candela, a light, torch < candere: see CANDESCENT] 1. a cylindrical mass of tallow or wax with a wick through its center, which gives light when burned 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • CANDLE — (Center for the Advancement of Natural Discoveries using Light Emission) проект источника синхротронного излучения третьего поколения в Ереване, Армения. Содержание 1 Предпосылки 2 Описание 3 …   Википедия

  • candle — ► NOUN ▪ a stick or block of wax or tallow with a central wick which is lit to produce light as it burns. ● be unable to hold a candle to Cf. ↑be unable to hold a candle to ● not worth the candle Cf. ↑not worth the candle ORIGIN …   English terms dictionary

  • Candle — (Kändl), engl. Name einer sehr guten Art Steinkohle …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Candle — For other uses, see Candle (disambiguation). A close up image of a burning candle showing the wick and the various parts of the flame …   Wikipedia

  • candle — Synonyms and related words: ASA scale, Agnus Dei, British candle, Hefner candle, Holy Grail, Host, Pieta, Sanctus bell, Sangraal, Scheiner scale, ark, asperger, asperges, aspergillum, bambino, bayberry candle, beadroll, beads, bougie, bougie… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • candle — candler, n. /kan dl/, n., v., candled, candling. n. 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.… …   Universalium

  • candle — n. 1) to dip candles 2) to light a candle 3) to blow out, extinguish, snuff out a candle 4) the candle was burning; was flickering; was going out; was sputtering 5) a wax candle 6) the flame of a candle 7) (misc.) to bum the candle at both ends ( …   Combinatory dictionary

  • candle — /ˈkændl / (say kandl) noun 1. a long, usually slender, piece of tallow, wax, etc., with an embedded wick, burnt to give light. 2. something like this in appearance or use. 3. international candle, a unit of luminous intensity established by… …  

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