Definition

1. Noun:
   • A former international unit of luminous intensity: The "international candle" was a historical, standardized unit for measuring the brightness of a light source in a specific direction. It has been superseded by the modern SI unit, the candela.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The lamp's output was measured at ten international candles. (This describes the lamp's luminous intensity using the old unit.)
  • Before 1948, many photometric measurements were expressed in international candles. (This uses the term in a historical context regarding measurement systems.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical or technical contexts discussing the evolution of measurement standards.
  • The transition from the international candle to the candela marked a significant improvement in photometric precision.

Variants and Related Words

• Candela (cd) (n): The modern SI base unit of luminous intensity, which replaced the international candle.
  • One candela is approximately equal to 1.02 international candles.

Synonyms

• Historical unit of luminous intensity: A descriptive synonym emphasizing its status as an obsolete measurement.

Noun

1. a former international unit of luminous intensity; now replaced by the candela