rush candle

noun

1. a candle made from a dried, partly peeled rush that has been dipped in grease.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rush candle¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

After a satisfactory answer, the door was slowly and cautiously opened, and the figure of a wrinkled, half-famished, and half-naked beldam appeared, shading a rush candle with one hand.

From Project Gutenberg

She lighted a fragment of a rush candle by the flame, and, opening a small box containing medicinal preparations, took therefrom a small vial containing an amber-coloured liquid, and held it to the light.

From Project Gutenberg

She opened the door slowly, and the rush candle showed her clothing scattered about the room.

From Project Gutenberg

The radiance of sunlight might well have been less than the blaze of a rush candle before the staggering brilliancy.

From Project Gutenberg

Light is, or used to be, given by a “lamp,” a kind of Chinese lantern on a lacquer stand, the light being given by a rush candle.

From Project Gutenberg