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 school, which occupied a massive home that patent medicine entrepreneur and Civil War surgeon Col. George G. Green built for his daughter in 1912, was full of intact original details, like decorative tiles in the faculty bathroom, bronze sconces in the hallways and an old intercom system. —Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025

Lebanese architect Zein Daouk’s ceramic sconce is a gracefully warped homage to the shiitake mushroom. —Morgan Meier, Curbed, 14 Apr. 2025

The artwork hanging on the wall—over a Jamb console and between vintage sconces from 1stDibs—is by Jay Shinn. —Andrew Sessa, Architectural Digest, 2 Apr. 2025

The cabinet doors are operable, despite paintings and sconces. —Tim Crout, Curbed, 1 May 2025

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
• esperance
• nonchalance
• nonresponse
• renaissance
• naissance
• response

Kids Definition

sconce

noun

ˈskän(t)s

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