wick

The thread inside a candle or oil lamp that draws up fuel and burns to produce light.

• Light the wick with a match.
• She trimmed the candle's wick before lighting it.
• The lamp went out because its wick was too short.

Common phrases: candle wick, lamp wick, light the wick, trim the wick

A strip of material that draws liquid through itself, sometimes placed in a wound to remove fluid.

• The wick draws water into the soil.
• A nurse placed a gauze wick in the wound.
• Remove the wick when the fluid stops draining.

Common phrases: gauze wick, drainage wick, insert a wick, absorbent wick

If a material does this, it draws liquid into itself or carries it away through tiny spaces.

• This fabric wicks moisture away.
• The cotton cord wicked water into the pot.
• Choose a shirt that wicks sweat away from your body.

How to use it: wick something away from something (The fabric wicks sweat away from your skin.)

Similar words: draw off, draw up

Common phrases: wick away moisture, wick sweat away, wick water