candlelight

C2 Topic:House & Home

Also spelled can’le-light

US /ˈkændllaɪt/ UK /ˈkændllaɪt/
noun Freq #18768

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    the soft light produced by one or more burning candles

    They ate dinner by candlelight during the power cut.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · the soft light produced by... candle glow
Word family
Derived forms candlelit

Etymology

From Middle English candel light and related spellings, inherited as a compound from Old English candel leoht ("candlelight"). Candle was borrowed into Old English from Latin candela, from candere ("to shine, glow"); light is the native Germanic noun. The compound has referred to both a candle's illumination and, historically, the evening time when candles were lit.

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