Webster's English Dictionary

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candle

1. can.dle \'kan-d*l\ n [ME candel, fr. OE, fr. L candela, fr. cande-re] 1: 
   a long slender cylindrical mass of tallow or wax containing a loosely tw 
   isted linen or cotton wick that is burned to give light 2: something 
   resembling a candle in shape or use {a sulfur ~ for fu migating} 3a: an 
   international unit of luminous intensity equal to the luminous inten sity 
   of five square millimeters of platinum at its solidification temperature - 
   called also international candle 3b: a similar unit equal to one sixtieth 
   of the luminous intensity of one s quare centimeter of a blackbody surface 
   at the solidification temperature of platinum - called also candela, new 
   candle
2. candle \'kan-(d)lin, -d*l-in\ \'kan-(d)l*r, -d*l-*r\ vt or can.dling : 
   to examine by holding between the eye and a light  - can.dler n