Meaning

(countable) 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..

Definitions by Sense

1. (countable) 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. (countable, euphemistic, slang) Often in dip one's wick: the penis.
3. (transitive) Of a material (especially a textile): to convey or draw off (liquid) by capillary action.
4. Of a material: to convey or draw off liquid by capillary action.
5. Chiefly followed by through or up: of a liquid: to move by capillary action through a porous material.
6. (obsolete except dialectal) A hamlet or village; also, a town.
7. (obsolete except dialectal, chiefly East Anglia and Essex) A farm; specifically, a dairy farm.
8. (obsolete) An enclosed piece of land; a close.

Example Sentences

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

Theſe cordes, they caule Cabuia and Henequen, which are al one thing ſauyng that Henequen is leſſe and of a fyner ſubſtaunce as it were line: And the other is groſſer lyke the wycke or twyſte of hempe, and is imperfecte in compariſon to the other.

But true it is that vvhen the oyle is ſpent, / The light goes out, and vveeke is throvvne away; […]

But novv vvee vvill ſpeake of the Continuance of Flames, ſuch as are vſed for Candles, Lamps, or Tapers; conſiſting of Inflammable Matters, and of a VVieke that prouoketh Inflammation. […] Triall vvas likevviſe made of ſeuerall Wickes; as of Ordinary Cotton; Sovving Thred; Ruſh; Silke; Stravv; and VVood.

[W]e may take notice of the Smoak that iſſues out of the VVeik of a Candle nevvly blovvn out; for vvhilſt the ſooty Corpuſcles retain their Bigneſe and Texture, they are able to offend the Noſtrils very much by their Stink; […]

And thus they spend / The little vvick of life's poor ſhallovv lamp, / In playing tricks vvith nature, giving lavvs / To diſtant vvorlds and trifling their ovvn.

The dice went rattling on; the candles were burning dim, with great long wicks.

My improvements in the manufacture of candle-wick apply particularly to the common or well-known plaited or platted wick, used in candles, for supporting combustion, and consist, / Firstly, in the introduction of one, two, or more straight distended warps, to form the base of a platted or woven candle-wick, such wick being made from three or more strands of cotton; […]

Word Forms

• wicks
• wicking
• wicked
• wicker
• more wick
• wickest
• most wick

Synonyms for wick

Related Words

When Should You Use Wick?

Use wick when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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