candle

plural candles

1. A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin.

   light a candle

   2 more examples

   blow out the candles on the birthday cake

   snuff out the candle

2. The protruding, removable portion of a filter, particularly a water filter.
3. obsoleteA unit of luminous intensity, now replaced by the SI unit candela.
4. businessA fast-growing, light-colored, upward-growing shoot on a pine tree in the spring. As growth slows in summer, the shoot darkens and is no longer conspicuous.
5. idiomaticAnglicanismIndicates how high or low church something is by height on the candle.

   That vicar used to be an evangelical, but she's crept up the candle in recent years.

   3 more examples

   That’s why self-consciously Anglo-catholic churches which are a mile high up the paschal candle can do reasonably well in the current climate.

   2016 May 2, Kelvin Holdsworth, “The Seven Actual Marks of Mission”, in Thurible.net

   For those towards the top of the candle, receiving holy communion is not the same as a celebration of the mass, and mailing the sacred host demonstrates a serious lack of reverence for the sacrament.

   2020 December 18, Robert Paterson, “Consecrated bread should not be posted to communicants”, in Church Times

   Clergy higher up the candle had different ideas. From the 1920s, Anglo-Papalism had favoured Roman fashions, and many of the Catholic clergy wore Latin cassocks — with plain or lacy cottas, and birettas — for the Offices; and, eschewing the surplice, an amice and alb — usually with Latin vestments — for the eucharist.

   2022 May 27, Philip Goff, “Platinum Jubilee: The way we wore”, in Church Times

present singular third person candles · participle present candling · participle past candled · past candled

1. transitiveembryologyTo observe the growth of an embryo inside (an egg), using a bright light source.
2. transitivepotteryTo dry (greenware) prior to the firing cycle, setting the kiln at 200° Celsius until all water is removed from the greenware.
3. transitiveTo check (an item, such as an envelope) by holding it between a light source and the eye.