wick

CEFRB2

/ˈwɪk/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A thread in a candle or lamp that burns.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Of a material (especially a textile): to convey or draw off (liquid) by capillary action.

Examples

  • A candle without a wick is no candle at all.

  • The flame flickered as it consumed the wax and the wick of the candle.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
3

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A braid or bundle of fibre or other porous material (now generally twisted or woven cotton) in a candle, kerosene heater, oil lamp, etc., that draws up a liquid fuel (such as melted tallow or wax, or oil) at one end, to be ignited at the other end to produce a flame.

  2. Synonym of wicking (“the material of which wicks (etymology 1, noun sense 1) are made”).

  3. Any piece of porous material that conveys liquid by capillary action; specifically (medicine), a strip of gauze placed in a wound, etc., to absorb fluids.

More examples

In context

  • The fabric wicks perspiration away from the body.

  • The moisture slowly wicked through the wood.

  • Trim the wick fairly short, so that the flame does not smoke.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She lit the new candle, and the flame traveled down the blank to the wax base.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

The noun is derived from Middle English wek, weke, wicke (“fibrous cord drawing fuel to flame of a candle, etc.; material used to make this object”), from Old English wēoce (“wick”), from Proto-West Germanic *weukā (“flax bundle; wick”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *weg- (“to weave”). It has been suggested that noun etymology 1, noun sense 2 (“penis”) is derived from Hampton Wick, used as rhyming slang for prick. If so, that sense should be placed under etymology 2. The verb is derived from the noun. cognates * Dutch wiek (“wick; wing; blade, propeller”) * German Wieche (“wick; wisp”) * Swedish veke (“wick”) * West Frisian wjok, wjuk (“wing”)