vesta1
/ˈvɛstə
/noun chiefly historical
A short wooden or wax match.Charles took a candle from its sconce and lit it with a match from his gold vesta case. ‘These are some of my ancestors,’ he explained, holding the candle towards the wall....
- Francesca tugged open the drawer of the faded mahogany sideboard and retrieved from it a small silver vesta case.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from the name of the goddess Vesta.
Rhymes
Vesta2
/ˈvɛstə/1 Roman Mythology The goddess of the hearth and household. Her temple in Rome contained no image but a fire which was kept constantly burning and was tended by the Vestal Virgins.
2 Astronomy Asteroid 4, discovered in 1807. It is the brightest asteroid and the third largest (diameter 501 km), and appears to consist of basaltic rock.