tea light

noun

variants or less commonly tealight or tea light candle or tealight candle
plural tea lights also tealights or tea light candles or tealight candles
: a small cylindrical candle that is usually less than 1 inch in height and that is usually set in a holder (as of metal or plastic)
Tiny tea lights float on water in the tub in the darkened bathroom.Jura Koncius
We like this ceramic fondue pot that uses a simple tea light candle to keep the cheese melty and delicious.Holly Hanchey
also : a battery-operated artificial candle of similar size and shape
You could create a whole miniature village of houses, each one with a battery-powered tealight inside. Emily Dawe
sometimes hyphenated before another noun
… clever tea-light holders that feature a slot to accommodate a match. Rob Walker

Examples of tea light in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many held tea lights as political, religious and community leaders paid tribute to those affected by ICE activities and called for solidarity and resistance against the agency's tactics. Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 31 Jan. 2026 Scatter tea lights, pillar candles, or taper candles around the living room and on the dining room table for a soft and flattering glow. Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026 Snowflakes, gingerbread men, and stockings can all become wax tea lights to make your Christmas mantel look extra cozy. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025 Watch this video for a step-by-step tutorial to make a tea light snowman ornament. Cody Godwin, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025 Attendees placed tea lights on the field forming the number 5—Turner’s number. Brian Robin, Oc Register, 2 Dec. 2025 Japanese tea lights strung throughout will serve as a beacon to the truck. Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025 Around a pond near the Lincoln Memorial, some 10,000 tea lights glimmered in little paper bags. Noam Levey, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025 His eight-course menu was off-the-scale scrumptious, and made all the more so by eating it inside the single-story, simple crofter’s farmhouse, carpeted with straw, and lit with tea lights and candles in wall nooks. Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

so called from the use of such candles to keep a pot of tea hot

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tea light was in 1978

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tea light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tea%20light. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

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