rushlight
Etymology
From rush + light.
rushlight means A type of inexpensive candle formed by soaking the dried pith of the rush plant in fat or grease, which emits light for a relatively short period of time. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “rushlight” is a great word
RUSHLIGHT — [Noun] A humble, short-lived illuminant made by dipping the dried pith of a rush in kitchen drippings or fat. From the English words 'rush' (referring to the plant) + 'light' (an illuminant), formed by compounding. Unlike a 'candle' (which implies molded wax, a proper wick, and lasting substance) or a 'torch' (which suggests a robust, flaming brand for outdoor use), the rushlight is the poorest relation in the family of light. It is the frugal glow of a single, sputtering stem in a cottar's window; the acrid scent of burning fat and vegetal fiber; the hastening shadow as the last inch of pith blackens into ash—a brief defiance of the dark, measured in pennies and minutes.
noun
- A type of inexpensive candle formed by soaking the dried pith of the rush plant in fat or grease, which emits light for a relatively short period of time.“The rushlight was her friend, and aided her to pass the long, long hours before midnight, for it was enclosed within its accustomed tin cage; […]”