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# wick

noun (a wick, wicks); verb (wick away — of fabrics)

«wick» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A wick is the string in the middle of a candle or the strip in an oil lamp that you light; it soaks up melted wax or oil to keep the flame burning. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#m1)
2. To wick (away) is to draw water or sweat away, as some sports clothes do. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons, a candle wick shows capillary action: liquid wax climbs up the wick to the flame. In safety, a long wick makes a big flame; candles must not be left unattended. In British slang, «to get on someone's wick» means to annoy them. Phrases: «trim the wick», «candle wick», «get on someone's wick».

### Examples

- Light the wick carefully with a long match. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#x1)
- Melted wax climbs up the wick and feeds the flame. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#x2)
- Trim the wick so the flame is small. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#x3)
- The candle went out when the wick burned down. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#x4)
- These sports socks wick sweat away from your feet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#x5)
- In a science test, water climbed up a paper wick. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/#x6)

### Note

Countable noun, plural wicks. Not the same as «wicked» (very bad, or in slang very good). In science, the wick works by capillary action.

## In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: Isaiah says the servant of God will not put out a dimly burning wick, a picture of gentleness to the weak. Tradition reads it as the quality of a just leader. In the primary lessons: In science lessons, a candle wick shows capillary action: liquid wax climbs up the wick to the flame. In safety, a long wick makes a big flame; candles must not be left unattended. In British slang, «to get on someone's wick» means to annoy them. Phrases: «trim the wick», «candle wick», «get on someone's wick».

### Examples

- A bruised reed shall he not break, and the dimly burning wick shall he not quench; he shall make the right to go forth according to the truth. (Prophets ISA.42.3, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wick/#x1)
- Who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power — they lie down together, they shall not rise, they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick: (Prophets ISA.43.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wick/#x2)

### Note

Countable noun, plural wicks. Not the same as «wicked» (very bad, or in slang very good). In science, the wick works by capillary action.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «wick» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wick/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«wick» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/wick.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «wick» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wick/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«wick» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/wick.html) on Mova free.