vela
candle
noun BEH-lah Rare
Origin: From Latin vela, plural of velum (sail, covering).
Also means
sail
Usage Note
Vela means both a wax candle and a sail on a boat — context determines which. Hacer vela or navegar a vela means to sail; encender una vela means to light a candle. Velar (the verb) means to stay awake keeping watch or to hold a vigil. The sport of sailing is la vela.
Examples
"Encendieron una vela en la iglesia."
Natural Translation
They lit a candle in the church.
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