noun · countable / uncountable · rare

wick

wick · wicks

ґніт

фитиль

Docht, Kerzendocht

A braid or bundle of fibre or other porous material in a candle, kerosene heater, oil…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.

ⓘ

/ˈwɪk/

» The wicked witch cast an evil spell on the man and turned him into an insect.

Зла чаклунка наслала злі чари на чоловіка і перетворила його на комаху.

Meaning

18 senses

(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.
Trim the wick fairly short, so that the flame does not smoke.
a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame
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.
(uncountable)Synonym of wicking (“the material of which wicks (etymology 1, noun sense 1) are made”).
(broadly, countable)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.
Docht, Dacht, Kerzendocht
фити́льfitílʹ
ґнітgnit
any piece of cord that conveys liquid by capillary action
(countable, euphemistic, slang)Often in dip one's wick: the penis.
(England)A hamlet or village; also, a town.
(East Anglia, England, Essex)A farm; specifically, a dairy farm.
(England, UK, Yorkshire, countable, dialectal)A maggot.
(England, UK, Yorkshire, countable, dialectal, uncountable)The growing part of a plant nearest to the roots.
Fed close? Why, it’s eaten into t’ hard wick.
(England, UK, Yorkshire, countable, dialectal, in the plural, uncountable)The part of the root of a weed that remains viable in the ground after inadequate digging prior to cultivation.
(England)A shot where the played bowl or stone touches a stationary bowl or stone just enough that the former changes direction; a cannon.
(England)Synonym of port (“a narrow opening between other players' bowls or stones wide enough for a delivered bowl or stone to pass through”).
(England, Northern England, Scotland)An inlet, such as a creek or small bay.

Examples

103 sentences

The wicked witch cast an evil spell on the man and turned him into an insect.
Зла чаклунка наслала злі чари на чоловіка і перетворила його на комаху.
CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Tom is wicked.
Том злий.
ruТом злой.
deTom ist verrucht.
CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
It's a wicked thing to do.
ruЭто дурной поступок.
CC BY · Tatoeba · sharptoothed · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Tom has a wicked sense of humor.
CC BY · Tatoeba · Spamster · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Murder is a wicked crime.
ruУбийство - это гнусное преступление.
CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

9 languages

Українська

By meaning 1

bundle of porous material in a candle, etc., that draws up a liquid fuel at one end, to be ignited at the other end to produce a flame; any piece of porous material that conveys liquid by capillary action:

Русский

By meaning 1

Deutsch

By meaning 1

Origin

The noun is derived from Middle English wek, weke, wicke (“fibrous cord drawing fuel to fl

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”).

From Middle English wik, wike, wich, wicke (“dwelling, home; building or land, probably enclosed, in which work is done; area, region, territory; city, town; hamlet, village”), from Old English wīc (“dwelling place, abode, lodging; temporary dwelling place, camp; place where a thing remains; town, village”), and then probably:

A variant of quick.

From Late Middle English wike, wyke (“corner of part of the body”), from Old Norse *vík (“angle, bend, corner”) (attested in munnvík (“corner of the mouth”)), from víkja (“to move, bend, curve; to retreat”) (related to Old Norse vikna (“to cave in, yield”)), probably from Proto-Germanic *wīkwaną (“to cease; to yield”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃weyg-, *weyg- (“to bend, turn; to wind”).

Probably borrowed from Scots wick (“(noun) shot in which a bowl or stone is aimed at another so that one or other is deflected at an angle towards the tee, cannon; (verb) to strike (a bowl or curling stone) in such a manner; to (attempt to) reach the tee in this manner”), The Scots noun is probably derived from Middle English wike, wyke (“corner of part of the body”); the verb from Old Norse víkja (“to move, bend, curve; to retreat”): see further at etymology 4.

Possibly from Middle English *wik (compare Old English wīc (“small bay, bight; creek, inlet”)), or from Old Norse vík (“bay; small creek, inlet”) (in place names; compare *vík (“angle, bend, corner”), attested in munnvík (“corner of the mouth”)), from Proto-Germanic *wīkō (“bay; fjord, inlet”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyg- (“to bend, turn; to wind”), *weyk- (“to bend, curve”).

Probably a clipping of wicker.

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