Candling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The technique entails checking eggs by illuminating them with a light to assess viability or abnormalities
2. This method consists of inspecting eggs using light to identify potential flaws or signs of life
3. The process involves examining eggs by shining a light through them to detect any inconsistencies or the presence of embryonic development

Etymology: Candling is the present participle of "candle", and the verb's core sense, holding an egg up to a light to see inside it, is a direct extension of the candle itself. Old English "candel" was borrowed from Latin "candēla", a word for a light or lamp, and that Latin noun comes from "candeō", "to be white, bright or shining". So the verb's trick is literal: the egg is held against a flame so its contents show as a shadow, and the practice gets its name from the light source rather than from the wax stick. The Latin root also explains some surprising relatives. "Candela", the unit of luminous intensity, and "chandelle", a French word for a candle that gave English the aviation term for a steep climb, are doublets of this same word, arriving by different routes and keeping different senses. Both sit in the same family of brightness as the egg-testing practice, which just took the most ordinary source of light available in the kitchen or farmyard.

Synonyms: illuminating, lighting