Meanings
plural tealights · alternative tea light · alternative tea-light · alternative tealite
- A small, typically circular candle encased in a thin metal cup, so that it liquefies completely when lit and burns as a wick immersed in molten wax.
2004, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service https://web.archive.org/web/20071027212506/http://www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/ccm/content/press-releases/2004/april-2004/tea-lights-pose-potential-danger.en Candles and tealights can be hazardous and must be used in accordance with any instructions.
Synonyms: tea candle
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small, typically circular candle encased in a thin metal cup, so that it liquefies completely when lit and burns as a wick immersed in molten wax.
Origin
From tea + light, since they are sometimes used to keep a teapot warm. Compare Dutch theelicht (“tealight”), German Teelicht (“tealight”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 茶燭 /茶烛
- 茶燭 /茶烛 (cházhú)small, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Czech čajová svíčka
- čajová svíčkasmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Danish fyrfadslys
- fyrfadslyssmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Dutch theelicht, waxinelicht
- theelichtsmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
- waxinelichtsmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Finnish lämpökynttilä, tuikku
- lämpökynttiläsmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
- tuikkusmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
French bougie à réchaud, bougie chauffe-plat
- bougie à réchaudsmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
- bougie chauffe-platsmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
German Teelicht
- Teelichtsmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Norwegian Bokmål telys
- telyssmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Polish świeczka do podgrzewacza
- świeczka do podgrzewaczasmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Russian ча́йная све́чка
- ча́йная све́чка (čájnaja svéčka)small, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Spanish velita de taza
- velita de tazasmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Swedish värmeljus
- värmeljussmall, typically circular candle encased in thin metal cup
Cite this entry
tealight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tealight
“tealight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tealight. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tealight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tealight.
Source: tealight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.