Meaning & use
votive holder
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablereligion
a small container that holds a votive candle, used in churches or as a decoration.
Grammar: Countable: a votive holder, two votive holders.
Patterns
- a votive holder
- votive holders
She placed a lighted candle in the votive holder in front of the statue.
The church bought fifty new glass votive holders for the prayer chapel.
These red votive holders look lovely on a dinner table.
Word forms
| plural | votive holders |
|---|
Common combinations
- glass votive holder
- The glass votive holder glowed softly on the altar.
- metal votive holder
- A metal votive holder hung from the wall.
- place a candle in a votive holder
- Visitors may place a candle in a votive holder and say a prayer.
- a row of votive holders
- A row of votive holders lined the church steps.
Synonyms and how they differ
- votive cup
- A votive cup is similar but usually refers to the small cup-shaped container that holds the candle itself.
- candle holder
- This is the general term for any holder for any candle; a votive holder is specifically for a small votive candle.
Word family
- votive adjective
- Given or done to fulfill a promise to a god, as in a votive offering.
- votive candle noun
- A small candle, often burned in churches as a prayer.
Commonly confused: votive holder or vocal holder?
votive holder vs vocal holder
This is not a real compound; 'vocal' relates to the voice, while 'votive' relates to a religious promise or offering.
Practice
In many churches, people light a small candle and place it in a ______.
Choose one answer.
A votive holder is the container for the candle. A votive candle is the candle itself, so you would not place a candle in a candle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “votive holder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.