Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
WICK
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English weke, wicke, from Old English wēoce; akin to Old High German wiohha wick, Middle Irish figid he weaves Date: before 12th century a bundle of fibers or a loosely twisted, braided, or woven cord, tape, or tube usually of soft spun cotton threads that by capillary attraction draws up to be burned a steady supply of the oil in lamps or the melted tallow or wax in candles,
II. transitive verb
Date: 1949
to absorb or drain (as a fluid or moisture) like a wick