Skip to main content
wax light

wax light

6.2
A stick of wax with a wick that gives light
  • noun
  • /wæks laɪt/
translation icon : vela
  • He placed the wax light on the table for the dinner party.

Examples

  • She lit the wax light to brighten the dark room.

  • A man stood behind it holding a wax light.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The wax light flickered gently as the wind blew through the open window.

Synonyms

candle
vswax light
451 1.0

A stick or block of wax with a wick that you burn for light

is usually made from a solid refined fat material rather than other substances
taper
vswax light
3 6.3

A long thin candle used for light

is the general form rather than a specifically thin shaped stick
vigil light
vswax light
1 8.3

A small candle lit in a church before a statue or altar when someone prays

is used for ordinary lighting rather than devotional or prayer purposes

How Bright

torchlight
  • UK
1 2.3
wax light
6.2
votive
6 8.0

Surface Forms

wax light singular
wax lights plural

Morphology

wax + light

The meaning 'candle' is directly derivable from combining 'wax' (a material) and 'light' (a source of illumination): a light made of wax. This is a straightforward noun+noun composition following transparent semantic logic, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun wax light comes from the simple object of a stick of wax with a wick that gives light when you burn it. That's why wax light means 'a candle' today.