the.com/sconce
the wall's way of holding fire without burning the whole house down
means A bracket or fixture mounted on a wall to hold a candle, torch, or light.
from From Old French 'esconse,' a lantern or hiding place, which traces back to Latin 'absconsa,' meaning 'hidden' or 'covered' (the same root that gives us 'abscond'). The idea was a shielded light — a flame tucked behind glass or metal so it could glow without setting the room ablaze. Over time the word migrated from the lantern itself to the wall-bracket that cradles it.
- old job
- Held candles before electricity stole its torch
- name origin
- From Latin for hidden lantern, abscondere
- oxford slang
- Once meant fining students who broke dining rules
- castle duty
- Lit drafty halls where chandeliers couldn't reach
- head joke
- Slang for skull, as in protect your sconce
for instance
victorian gas sconces london — ornamental wall lamps that lit streets and homes in 1800s england before electricity