Skip to content

cero

large candle

noun CHEH-roh Rare
Arts & Culture Religion

Origin: Latin cera (wax).

Also means

votive candle

Usage Note

Cero specifically denotes a large wax candle used in religious ceremonies, such as the cero pasquale (Easter candle) lit at the Easter Vigil. It is not interchangeable with the generic candela (candle). Do not confuse with zero — cero is pronounced with the 'ch' sound ('ch' before 'e').

Examples

"Il cero pasquale illuminava l'altare."

Natural Translation

The Easter candle lit up the altar.

Explore Italian by topic