cand-, can-, cend-

A large decorative candleholder with several arms or branches, or a similarly shaped electric light fixture: The beautiful silver candelabrum sat on Jim's shelf and was only taken down to be used for very special occasions.

A reference to honesty, frankness, and unbiased statements: Mary decided to let Paul know that her candid feelings with him did not involve loving him; however, she did like him.

1. Characterized by openness and sincerity of expression; unreservedly straightforward: In private, Shirley gave her business group a candid opinion about what to expect economically in the future.
2. Related to honesty and unbiased opinions, even when the truth is not pleasant to hear: Mary decided to give her candid statement to Paul and so she told him that she liked him, but she was not in love with him.

Someone who is being considered, nominated, or striving for a particular position, office, prize, or honor: Harry decided to announce his candidacy for a seat in the Senate even though he has previously strived for other political candidacies.

1. A person who seeks to run for a political office: The conservative candidate promised to eliminate high taxes while the liberal candidate said he would strive to eliminate unemployment.
2. Etymology: from Latin candidus, "white" and candidatus, "clothed in white" from the white togas, which were long, shining, white cloaks that were worn by Romans who were seeking political offices.

Although the word candidate refers to the purity of "white" there are too many who are or who become corrupted

When a man ran for public office in ancient Rome, he obtained a toga which was a long, shining, white cloak.

With this "shining white" outfit, the candidate stood out in a crowd and the people might have considered him to be associated with purity and goodness because of the symbolism of the garment.

A candidate for a public office in Roman times.

The term candidate is derived from a person who was a candidatus, "clothed in white", which was symbolical of the supposed purity of the person.

1. A molded piece of wax, tallow, or other fatty substance, usually cylindrical in shape, encasing a wick that is burned to provide light: Before the days of gas and electricity, candles were the main sources of light at night.
2. A unit of luminous intensity, defined as a fraction of the luminous intensity of a group of 45 carbon-filament lamps; used from 1909 to 1948 as the international standard.
3. Etymology: from Ole English candel, early church-word borrowing from Latin candela, "a light, a torch"; from candere, "to shine".

Candles were unknown in ancient Greece where oil lamps were used, but they were common from early times among Romans and Etruscans.

The state of being sincere and honest in speech or expressing oneself: Alice admired Jim's candor when he was talking about what went wrong with his first marriage. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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Our censors are indulgent to the crows, but harass the doves: From Decimus Iunius (Junius) Iuvenalis (Juvenalis) (c. A.D. 60-117); Saturae, I, 63; who attacked the vices of the plutocrats, the wickedness and immorality of women and foreigners (particularly Greeks), and laments the decline of the ancient aristocratic virtues.

The editor of the newspaper titled the lead editorial, Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas because it was a statement of her opinion of the city officials who sought to censor her newspaper.