Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

sconce2

Pronunciation: /skɒns/
Definition of sconce

noun

archaic
  • a small fort or earthwork defending a ford, pass, or castle gate.
  • a shelter or screen from fire or the weather.

Origin:

late Middle English: from Dutch schans 'brushwood', from Middle High German schanze. The earliest recorded sense 'screen, interior partition' derives perhaps from sconce1; the later senses date from the late 16th century

sconce in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of sconce in the US English dictionary
  |  Cite

More results for sconce

Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

Shop for an Oxford dictionary

Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

monocular

/ məˈnɒkjʊlə /
adjective , noun
with, for, or in one eye …