If asked to "snuff the candle", would you trim the wick or extinguish the light? As noted previously, a substantial number of the candles made and consumed in the United States in 1860 had wicks that needed to be trimmed frequently in order to keep the light from dimming.

According to an 1860 American dictionary, "snuff" as a noun referred to (1) the burnt wick of a candle (that is, the partially consumed portion that needed to be trimmed) and (2) pulverized tobacco. As a verb it meant (1) to...