wick

C1 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /wɪk/ UK /wɪk/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like week /ɪ/ vs /iː/ Sounds like weak /ɪ/ vs /iː/

Freq #16233

Meanings

1

noun
a cord or strip in a candle or lamp that draws fuel upward and burns at its tip

She trimmed the wick before lighting the lamp.
2

verb
to draw or carry moisture through a porous material by capillary action

The fabric wicks sweat away from the skin.
3

adj
Northern English and Scots: alive, lively, or active

The old dog was still wick and alert.
4

noun
Yorkshire dialect pronunciation spelling of week

Their harvest was three wick behind the neighboring farms.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a cord or strip in a candle... candlewick

2 verb · to draw or carry moisture... draw absorb channel

3 adj · northern english and scots:... alive lively

4 noun · yorkshire dialect... week

Opposites

dead dry

Word family

Derived forms wickingwickedwickless

Related forms candle lamp capillary quick week

Etymology

The candle sense comes through Middle English weke from Old English weoce. The moisture verb developed from the noun's capillary action. Northern wick 'alive' is related to quick, while literary wick for week reflects regional pronunciation; these last two are separate historical forms.

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# wick

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb, adj
**IPA (US):** /wɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /wɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 16233

## Meanings
1. a cord or strip in a candle or lamp that draws fuel upward and burns at its tip
2. to draw or carry moisture through a porous material by capillary action
3. Northern English and Scots: alive, lively, or active
4. Yorkshire dialect pronunciation spelling of week

## Examples
- She trimmed the wick before lighting the lamp.
- The fabric wicks sweat away from the skin.
- The old dog was still wick and alert.
- Their harvest was three wick behind the neighboring farms.

## Synonyms
- candlewick
- draw
- absorb
- alive
- lively
- week

## Antonyms
- dead
- dry

## Derived Forms
- wicking
- wicked
- wickless

## Related Forms
- candle
- lamp
- capillary
- quick
- week

## Etymology
The candle sense comes through Middle English weke from Old English weoce. The moisture verb developed from the noun's capillary action. Northern wick 'alive' is related to quick, while literary wick for week reflects regional pronunciation; these last two are separate historical forms.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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