wick – English noun declension

English noun forms of wick

Noun: wick
Singularwick
Pluralwicks

Sample 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. [1555, Peter Martyr of Angleria [i.e., Peter Martyr d’Anghiera], “Of Venemous Apples wherwith They Poyson Theyr Arrowes”, in Rycharde Eden [i.e., Richard Eden], transl., The Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India, […], London: […] [Rycharde Jug for] Guilhelmi Powell, →OCLC, decade, folio 200, recto:]
  • But true it is that vvhen the oyle is ſpent, / The light goes out, and vveeke is throvvne away; […] [1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 30, page 333:]
  • 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. [1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “IV. Century. [Experiments in Consort, Touching the Continuance of Flame.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 369, page 99:]
  • [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; […] [a. 1692 (date written), Robert Boyle, “Title XL. Of the Air in Reference to the Generation, Life and Health of Animals.”, in The General History of the Air, […], London: […] Awnsham and John Churchill, […], published 1692, →OCLC, page 247:]
  • 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. [1785, William Cowper, “Book III. The Garden.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 99:]
  • The dice went rattling on; the candles were burning dim, with great long wicks. [1839 May – 1840 February, Ikey Solomons, Jun. [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], “Catherine: A Story. Chapter III. In which a Narcotic is Administered, and a Great Deal of Genteel Society Depicted.”, in Catherine: A Story. Little Travels. The Fitz-Boodle Papers. etc. etc. (Works of William Makepeace Thackeray in Twenty-four Volumes; 22), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1869, →OCLC, page 43:]
  • 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; […] [1843 January 14 (date sealed), Nathaniel Card, “Specification of the Patent Granted to Nathaniel Card, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Candle-wick Manufacturer, for Certain Improvements in the Manufacture of Candle-wick, and in Machinery or Apparatus for Producing such Manufacture”, in The Repertory of Patent Inventions, and Other Discoveries and Improvements in Arts, Manufactures, and Agriculture; […], volume II (Enlarged Series), number V, London: Published for the proprietor, by Alex[ander] Macintosh, […]; and sold by Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., […]; J[ohn] Weale, […]; and G. Hebert, […], published November 1843, →OCLC, pages 292–293:]
  • There liues vvithin the very flame of loue / A kind of weeke or ſnufe that vvill abate it, […] [c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], signature [L4], verso:]
  • His wick was stone stiff. [[1969], Marcus van Heller [pseudonym; John Stevenson], Nest of Vixens, [New York, N.Y.]: Ophelia Press, →OCLC:]
  • Thrusting his head out of a miniature waterfall, Di asked, 'You don't feel like a bit of a bunk-up this evening, Stubby, by any chance?' / 'A bit of what?' / 'Dipping your wick, man!' / This was unlike the staid, chapel-going Di I thought I knew. 'I'm careful where I dip my wick, mate. Got a bit of respect for it.' [1971, Brian W[ilson] Aldiss, “Book 2: The Old Five-fingered Widow”, in A Soldier Erect, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, →OCLC, page 111:]
  • Her laugh wasn't cruel in tone, but it cut through Husk like a scalpel, withering his wick even further. [2009, Ira Robbins, “Parthenogenesis”, in Kick It till It Breaks, [New York, N.Y.]: Trouser Press, →ISBN, page 130:]

Etymology

1. 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”).
2. It has been suggested that noun etymology 1, noun sense 2 (“penis”) is derived from Hampton Wick, used as rhyming slang for prick. If so, that sense should be placed under etymology 2.
3. The verb is derived from the noun.
4. cognates
5. * Dutch wiek (“wick; wing; blade, propeller”)
6. * German Wieche (“wick; wisp”)
7. * Swedish veke (“wick”)
8. * West Frisian wjok, wjuk (“wing”) See: Middle English Nouns 'wek', Old English Nouns 'wēoce', Dutch Nouns 'wiek', German Nouns 'Wieche', Swedish Nouns 'veke'.

Verbs referencing "wick"

Danish Nouns vig, Latin Nouns velum, Dutch Nouns wijk, Ancient Greek Nouns οἶκος, Bulgarian Nouns вес, German Nouns Wieche.