candle flame
- noun
- /ˈkændl fleɪm/
- The candle flame flickered softly, casting warm light across the room.
It's a bit like Richard Dawkins has given the example that flies will often just fly straight into candles or moths, sorry, they'll fly straight into candle flames and die.
- It's a bit like Richard Dawkins has given the example that flies will often just fly straight into candles or moths, sorry, they'll fly straight into candle flames and die.
Examples
-
His gold tooth gleamed in the candle flame.
Fiction book (1994) -
In each window, upstairs and downstairs, there shone a candle flame.
Fiction book (1990) -
Second, the candle flame is really curious.
Academic text (1994) -
The single candle flame was reflected in her dark eyes.
Fiction book (1992) -
Little candle flames make me shiver.
-
Her brown eyes seemed to moisten with the reflection of the candle flame.
Fiction book (1995) -
The slave woman left him in a room glimmering with dozens of candle flames.
Fiction book (1990) -
Thousands upon thousands of candle flames burned and danced, and the candle wax ran and dripped.
-
Abigail stayed awake through dinner, staring blankly at the candle flames.
Fiction book (1990) -
The candle flames stand up stiffly in the windless dark, and Billie Holiday wafts down from treetop speakers.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
The bright, hot part of a fire that you can see
Soft light from a burning candle that makes a room feel warm
Antonyms
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the visible light and flame produced by a burning candle' is directly and compositionally derived from 'candle' (a wax object with a wick) + 'flame' (the visible hot part of burning). This noun–noun combination follows a common, cross-linguistically transparent pattern (thing + its part/feature), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
The name candle flame gives a clear picture: the candle is the wax and the small string inside that burns, and the flame is the tiny fire on top that gives 'light' and 'heat'. So, it simply means the visible fire and light produced by a burning candle.