candlestick

C3A1N1D2L1E1S1T1I1C3K5
/ˈkændəlˌstɪk//ˈkændl̩ˌstɪk/

noun

A holder with a socket or spike for a candle.

Less commonScrabble 20

Meanings

nouncandlestick (plural candlesticks)

plural candlesticks · alternative canstick

  1. A holder with a socket or spike for a candle.

    Neither doe men light a candle, and put it vnder a bushell: but on a candlesticke, and it giueth light vnto all that are in the house.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 5:15
    1 more example

    Sorcerers and other practitioners of witchcraft used to make a variety of candlestick called the Hand of Glory, chiefly from the flesh of criminals[.]

    1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 114

    Synonyms: candle holder

  2. gymnasticsA gymnastics move in which the legs are pointed vertically upward.
  3. businessA color-coded bar showing the open and closing prices of a stock on a candlestick chart.
  4. UKhistoricalslanggovernmentThe central ignition tube connecting the fuse and charge of a WWI shrapnel shell, shaped like a candle stick.

    Inside the shrapnel shell was an iron bar with a flattened, broad nose. When the shell burst in the air this iron object fell to the ground and, since it came often from a great height, its fall was dangerous. The men called these candlesticks, which they much resembled.

    1930, Ford Madox Ford, No More Parades, Grosset & Dunlap, page 20
verbcandlestick (third-person singular simple present candlesticks, present participle candlesticking, simple past and past participle candlesticked)

present singular third person candlesticks · participle present candlesticking · participle past candlesticked · past candlesticked · alternative canstick

  1. To catch on fire, so that the chute resembles a tapered candle with a flame on top.

    Others with chutes aflame candlesticked into the sea.

    2013, Rick Atkinson, The Liberation
    2 more examples

    Planes fell in flames, planes fell not in flames. Men fell in flames, men fell safely in their parachutes, some candlesticked.

    1998, Sandler Stanley, Segregated Skies, page 104

    Archie Jack had a second lucky escape in a later attempt when his pilot, nervous of flying over the high mountain ranges, made him jump out at a much greater altitude than was usual. What initially seemed inconsiderate saved Jack's life as his parachute 'candlesticked', ...

    2003, Heather Williams, Parachutes, Patriots and Partisans
  2. investingTo analyze stock behavior using Japanese candlestick charts.

    The other book I would recommend is on a technical evaluation method called “candlesticking.”

    2003, Cynthia Pirl, Intentional Investing
    1 more example

    “You wouldn't happen to be the B. J. Devine who wrote the Devine candlestick formula?” I blurted, not thinking it could be true. Candlesticking is one of the trickier methods of charting stock.

    2014, Sarah Graves, Wreck the Halls
  3. To adorn with candlesticks.

    The Drama's altar isn't on the stage; it is candlesticked and flowered in the box-office.

    1962, John Wilson, The Faith of an Artist, page 71
    1 more example

    3 When I get my room arranged, it will be carpeted, cushioned, curtained (one set crimson dama[s]k, one white), mirrored, silver candlesticked, etc., etc., etc.

    1988, William Reynolds, Anne Hoffman Cleaver, E. Jeffrey Stann, Voyage to the Southern Ocean, page 2
  4. To form a tall, thin, tapering shape similar to a candle.

    If cut on the individual stems at three-leaf clusters, the cane will "candlestick."

    1957, The American Rose Annual - Volume 42, page 50
    2 more examples

    Initially, the end of the shaft is ragged, but then begins to taper smoothly, exhibiting the "candlesticking" or "pencilling" referred to in the literature (Fig. 13).

    1976, Journal of the American Podiatry Association

    Caught there on a candlesticked overhang of ice, Quaid turned to peer down at his buddy.

    1991, Renee Roszel, Valentine's Knight, page 192

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA holder with a socket or spike for a candle.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna holder with sockets for candles

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishcandelsticca“candlestick”
  2. Middle Englishcandelstik
  3. Englishcandlestick

From Middle English candelstik, candelstikke, from Old English candelsticca (“candlestick”), equivalent to candle + stick. Cognate with Scots candilsteke, candilstik (“candlestick”). Compare Old Norse kertastika, kertistika (“candlestick”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic شَمْعَدَان, قِنْدِيل
  • شَمْعَدَان (šamʕadān)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • قِنْدِيل (qindīl)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Bulgarian све́щник, свети́лник
  • све́щник (svéštnik)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • свети́лник (svetílnik)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • кандела́бър (kandelábăr)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Catalan candeler, portallàntia
  • candelera holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • portallàntiaa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Chinese Cantonese 燭臺 /燭台 /烛台
  • 燭臺 /燭台 /烛台 (zuk¹ toi⁴)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Chinese Mandarin 燭臺 /燭台 /烛台
  • 燭臺 /燭台 /烛台 (zhútái)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Czech svícen
  • svícena holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Danish lysestage
  • lysestagea holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Dutch kandelaar
  • kandelaara holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Esperanto kandelingo
  • kandelingoa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Estonian küünlajalg
  • küünlajalga holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Finnish kynttilänjalka
  • kynttilänjalkaa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
French chandelier, bougeoir
  • chandeliera holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • bougeoira holder with a socket or spike for a candle
German Kerzenhalter
  • Kerzenhaltera holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Greek κηροπήγιο
  • κηροπήγιο (kiropígio)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Hawaiian kū ihoiho
  • kū ihoihoa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Hebrew פָּמוֹט
  • פָּמוֹט (pamót)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Hindi दीपाधार, शमादान
  • दीपाधार (dīpādhār)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • शमादान (śamādān)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • चिराग़दान (cirāġdān)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Hungarian gyertyatartó
  • gyertyatartóa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Icelandic kertastjaki
  • kertastjakia holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Indonesian kandil
  • kandila holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Irish coinnleoir
  • coinnleoira holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Italian candelabro, candeliere
  • candelabroa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • candelierea holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Japanese 燭台
  • 燭台 (shokudai)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Korean 촛대, 촉대
  • 촛대 (chotdae)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • 촉대 (chokdae)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Latin candēlābrum
  • candēlābruma holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Latvian svečturis
  • svečturisa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Lithuanian žvakidė
  • žvakidėa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Norwegian Bokmål lysestake
  • lysestakea holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Polish świecznik, lichtarz
  • świecznika holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • lichtarza holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Portuguese castiçal, candelabro
  • castiçala holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • candelabroa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Romanian sfeșnic
  • sfeșnica holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Russian подсве́чник, канделя́бр
  • подсве́чник (podsvéčnik)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • канделя́бр (kandeljábr)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • шанда́л (šandál)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Scottish Gaelic coinnlear
  • coinnleara holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Slovak svietnik
  • svietnika holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Spanish candelero, cirial
  • candeleroa holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • ciriala holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Swedish ljusstake
  • ljusstakea holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Tagalog sasangan
  • sasangana holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Thai เชิงเทียน
  • เชิงเทียน (chəəng-tiian)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Turkish şamdan, mumluk
  • şamdana holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • mumluka holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Ukrainian свічни́к, канделя́бр
  • свічни́к (svičnýk)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • канделя́бр (kandeljábr)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Urdu شَمْع دان, چَراغ دان
  • شَمْع دان (šam' dān)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • چَراغ دان (carāġ dān)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Vietnamese đế nến, đế đèn cầy
  • đế nếna holder with a socket or spike for a candle
  • đế đèn cầya holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Welsh canhwyllbren
  • canhwyllbrena holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Yiddish לײַכטער
  • לײַכטער (laykhter)a holder with a socket or spike for a candle
Cite this entry
APA

candlestick. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candlestick

MLA

“candlestick.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candlestick. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “candlestick,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candlestick.

Source: candlestick on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.