A wall-mounted light fixture, typically decorative and holding candles or electric bulbs.
From Old French 'esconse' meaning 'lantern' or 'hiding place,' which came from Latin 'abscondere' meaning 'to hide.' Originally, a sconce was a portable lantern with a handle and protective screen that could be hidden or sheltered from wind. The word evolved to describe wall-mounted fixtures because they provided 'hidden' or protected light. The military fortification meaning (a small protective work) comes from the same 'hiding place' root.
Sconces were originally designed to solve the problem of candlelight being blown out by drafts in medieval buildings — they were literally 'hiding places' for flames! The decorative wall sconces in modern homes are descendants of these practical wind-shields for candles.
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