Sconce — Defs

01 n. A fortification, or work for defense; a fort.

1.
A fortification, or work for defense; a fort.
“No sconce or fortress of his raising was ever known either to have been forced, or yielded up, or quitted.” — Milton.
2.
A hut for protection and shelter; a stall.
“One that . . . must raise a sconce by the highway and sell switches.” — Beau. & Fl.
3.
A piece of armor for the head; headpiece; helmet.
“I must get a sconce for my head.” — Shak.
4.
Fig.: The head; the skull; also, brains; sense; discretion.[Colloq.]
“To knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel.” — Shak.
5.
A poll tax; a mulct or fine.
6.
A protection for a light; a lantern or cased support for a candle; hence, a fixed hanging or projecting candlestick.
“Tapers put into lanterns or sconces of several-colored, oiled paper, that the wind might not annoy them.” — Evelyn.

“Golden sconces hang not on the walls.” — Dryden.
7.
Hence, the circular tube, with a brim, in a candlestick, into which the candle is inserted.
8.
A squinch.(Arch.)
9.
A fragment of a floe of ice.
10.
A fixed seat or shelf.[Prov. Eng.]

02 v. t. To shut up in a sconce; to imprison; to insconce.

imp. & p. p. Sconced; p. pr. & vb. n. Sconcing

1.
To shut up in a sconce; to imprison; to insconce.[Obs.]
“Immure him, sconce him, barricade him in 't.” — Marston.
2.
To mulct; to fine.[Obs.]