Candlewick
/ˈkæn.dəl.wɪk/noun
The twisted fiber or string that forms the burning center of a candle.
Did you know?The second half of candlewick is the same ancient root behind words like wicker and weak, all tied to the idea of bending, yielding, or twisting.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
candel
“a candle, lamp, or lighted torch”
Old English
OE
wīc
“a pliant or twisted strip; a wick”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wik-
“to bend, turn, yield”
Late Old English / Middle English
English
candel-wicke
“the wick of a candle”
Modern English
English
candlewick
“the fibrous core that burns in a candle”