A Candle Wick Draws Wax by Capillary Action
A wick is the cord in a candle or lamp. It works by pulling fuel upward through tiny gaps.
A wick is the cord in a candle or lamp that carries fuel to the flame. What burns is not the wick but the wax: the heat melts wax at the base, capillary action draws the liquid up through the fibres, and the flame vaporises it. A wick without wax burns away in seconds, and wax without a wick will not light at all. Modern wicks are braided to curl outward as they burn, so the tip is trimmed automatically by the flame.
- A candle cord. *Trimming the wick.*
- A lamp cord. *A lamp wick.*
- To draw liquid. *Wicking fabric.*
- Capillary action. *Capillary action.*
- Old English — *weoce*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | wick | A wick. |
| Plural | wicks | Wicks. |
| Verb | wick | Wicking. |
| Adjective | wicking | Wicking fabric. |
| Old English | weoce | A wick. |
- The wick burned down.Candle.
- Wax is the fuel, not the wick.Science.
- Moisture-wicking fabric.Textile.
How a candle actually burns
- Heat melts the wax nearest the flame
- Capillary action draws liquid wax up the wick
- The flame's heat vaporises it
- The vapour burns, not the liquid or the wick
- Braided wicks curl outward so the tip is consumed
Old English *weoce*, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch *wiek*.
Does the wick burn in a candle?
Barely. The wick draws liquid wax up to the flame, and it is vaporised wax that burns.
Why do modern wicks not need trimming?
They are braided so they curl outward as they burn, putting the tip into the hottest part of the flame.