to candle
- verb
- /ˈkændl/
- Specialized
- Milking, weeding, candling, and I'm afraid you're all going to have to help.
- candling eggs
Examples
-
Folded in three, knees to chin, she doesn't get candled like other kids.
Fiction book (1991) -
The visible labor, stocking shelves, labeling cans, candling eggs, cutting meat—all this was done either by my uncle or by someone working under his direction.
Academic text (1990) -
No, I used to candle eggs at his farm.
-
So, there is no need to candle our eggs or worry about "babies" inside when you buy our eggs.
Blog text (23) -
Now, don't you worry 'cause I candled all of them.
-
Following inoculation, the eggs were candled after 24 and 48 hours to check the viability of embryos.
Academic text (2015) -
PHOTO (COLOR): In an incubator room, veterinary medical officer David Suarez candles embryonic chicken eggs to look for signs of life.
Academic text (2005) -
To check for freshness, the farmer carefully candled the eggs, examining them against the bright light.
-
After collecting the eggs, we began to candle them one by one to ensure they were viable.
-
The students learned how to candle the eggs using a flashlight to see the developing embryos inside.
Idioms
- Informal
To work late at night and early in the morning so you become very tired
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- Specialized
A standard measure of how bright a light is, originally based on a candle
Surface Forms
Etymology
Candle as a verb comes from the old practice of holding an egg up to a candle to see inside it. That is why to 'candle' an egg means to check it by using light.