cresset
/ˈkrɛsɪt/
noun
- A metal container for holding burning oil or pitch, used as a torch or light, especially in historical contexts.
- The old illustration showed a guard carrying a cresset to illuminate the dungeon stairs.
- In medieval times, a cresset was often mounted on a pole to light a courtyard.
- The castle walls were lit by cressets filled with flaming oil.