sconce

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈskän(t)s 

1

: a bracket candlestick or group of candlesticks

also : an electric light fixture patterned on a candle sconce

2

: head, skull

sconce

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a detached defensive work

Examples of sconce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The owners’ cabin features twin vignettes of rattan mirrors, Galerie des Lampes sconces, and 19th-century Austrian botanicals. —Mitchell Owens, Architectural Digest, 10 June 2026

Task lighting, such as table lamps or wall sconces, will provide just enough brightness for solo activities like reading or journaling. —Maggie Burch, Southern Living, 8 June 2026

Palatial splendor merges with chalet coziness, particularly in the raclette and charcuterie-heavy Le Coin Savoyard restaurant (one of three in the hotel and four off-site) and in the salons, where sofas and traditional rugs are illuminated by chandeliers and dim sconces. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

Layer recessed lights, sconces, and floor lamps to brighten low-light areas. —Jody Garlock, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French sconce, *esconse screened candle or lantern, from escunser to hide, obscure, from Old French escons, past participle of escondre to hide, from Vulgar Latin *excondere, alteration of Latin abscondere — more at abscond

Noun (2)

Dutch schans, from German Schanze

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1571, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sconce

• bons
• hans
• launce
• nonce
• naissance
• response
• nonchalance
• nonresponse
• renaissance

Kids Definition

sconce

noun

ˈskän(t)s

: a lamp or candlestick or group of candlesticks fastened to a wall