a usu long slender cylindrical mass of tallow or wax enclosing a wick that is burned to give light
something resembling a candle in shape or use
a sulphur candle for fumigation
= candela
not hold a candle to
to be much inferior to (another person or thing)
[originally in positive contexts, the image being of an assistant holding a candle for a person to work by]not worth the candle
chiefly Brit not worth the effort, or not justified by the result
[from the notion of the cost of a candle needed to provide light for an activity not being justified by the results achieved][Old English candel from Latin candela, from candēre to shine]