Meanings
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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.
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2
verb
to draw or carry moisture through a porous material by capillary action
The fabric wicks sweat away from the skin.
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3
adj
Northern English and Scots: alive, lively, or active
The old dog was still wick and alert.
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4
noun
Yorkshire dialect pronunciation spelling of week
Their harvest was three wick behind the neighboring farms.
Thesaurus
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.