candle

A stick or block of wax with a string inside that burns to give light.

• She lit a candle.
• The candles on the cake were pink.
• Please blow out the candle before you leave.

Common phrases: light a candle, birthday candle, scented candle

An old unit for measuring how strong a light is in a particular direction.

• The lamp had an intensity of one candle.
• This old chart gives light intensity in candles.
• The candle was later replaced by the candela.

Common phrases: standard candle, international candle, one candle

A pale new stem that grows upward on a pine tree in spring.

• A new candle grew at the branch tip.
• The pine candles lengthened quickly in spring.
• She pinched each candle to keep the tree compact.

Similar words: pine shoot

Common phrases: pine candle, new candle, prune a candle

An imagined scale showing how much an Anglican church or person favors formal ceremonies and Catholic traditions.

• Their church is fairly high up the candle.
• The new vicar moved the parish down the candle.
• More incense suggests that the parish has moved up the candle.

How to use it: up/down the candle (The parish moved up the candle under its new vicar.)

Common phrases: up the candle, down the candle

To shine a bright light through an egg to check what is growing inside.

• We candle the eggs with a small lamp.
• She candled each egg after a week.
• When should I candle these duck eggs?

Common phrases: candle an egg, candle chicken eggs

To heat unfired pottery gently in a kiln to remove water before heating it fully.

• We candle the pottery before firing it.
• She candled the kiln overnight to dry the bowls.
• You should candle thick clay pieces slowly.

Similar words: pre-dry

Common phrases: candle the kiln, candle the pottery