plural candles
1
: a usually molded or dipped mass of wax or tallow containing a wick that may be burned (as to give light, heat, or scent or for celebration or votive purposes)
2
: something resembling a candle in shape or use
a sulfur candle for fumigating
3
: required effort, expense, or trouble
—usually used in the phrase not worth the candle
4
: candela
5
: a thin, upright new shoot forming from a terminal bud on a pine tree in the spring
Pines grow from the branch tips, which elongate into "candles" in spring, then fatten into mature, needle-covered branches. To minimize pine growth, just pinch off the ends of the candles.—
Jim McCausland et al.
Jim McCausland et al.
candled; candling
ˈkan(d)-liŋ,
ˈkan-dᵊl-iŋ
: to examine by holding between the eye and a light
especially
: to test (eggs) in this way for staleness, blood clots, fertility, and growth
Examples of candle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Travers, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Collaborations featuring the late artist’s work are abundant and increasing in number, from candles to footwear.
—Andrea Bossi, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024
After all these scores of decades, will America the free still see and be the uplifting, candled light of its soon-approaching 250th birthday?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for candle 
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Noun
This could be a place of worship, a local botanical garden, a quiet hiking trail—or even a cozy spot at home with candles and comfortable seating.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Collaborations featuring the late artist’s work are abundant and increasing in number, from candles to footwear.
—Andrea Bossi, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Other key players in Welch's lighting lineup include warm-toned twinkle lights and candle warmers.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024
After all these scores of decades, will America the free still see and be the uplifting, candled light of its soon-approaching 250th birthday?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for candle
Dictionary Entries Near candle
Cite this Entry
“Candle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/candle. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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