Guttered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Produced light that flickered or wavered unsteadily ; ceased to burn or produce light abruptly ; moved or drained away through a shallow channel
2. Gave off a trembling or flickering glow ; went out suddenly and completely ; ran off or drained along a narrow passage
3. Shined with unsteady, fluctuating light ; stopped shining or burning without warning ; flowed off in a thin, concentrated stream

Etymology: The verb "guttered" describes a candle or lamp that flickers and sputters, and it comes from a noun that once meant a drop of liquid. Latin "gutta" was a drop, and Old French "goutiere" was a channel for falling drops, which is where the noun "gutter" came from. The sense of a runoff channel along the eaves of a building is the oldest one that English recorded for it. The leap to flickering light happened through the image of wax. A candle burning down unevenly lets melted wax run in drips down its sides and collect in pools at the rim, so the flame seems to sputter and die. Speakers began using "gutter" for a candle burning low in this way, and the verb "gutter" came to mean that the flame wavered and threatened to go out. "Guttered" is simply the past form of that verb, so it describes a flame that has already flickered.

Synonyms: drained, flowed, spilled, trickled, leaked

Antonyms: filled, blocked, contained, held, stopped