• Light

    Pronunciation

    • enPR: lÄ«t, IPA: /laɪt/
    • Rhymes: -aɪt
    • Homophones: lite

    Origin 1

    Alternative forms

    From Middle English light, liht, leoht, from Old English lēoht ("light, daylight; power of vision; luminary; world"), from Proto-Germanic *leuhtą ("light"), from Proto-Indo-European *lewktom, from the root *lewk- ("light"). Cognate with Scots licht ("light"), West Frisian ljocht ("light"), Dutch licht ("light"), Low German licht ("light"), German Licht ("light"). Related also to Swedish ljus ("light"), Icelandic ljós ("light"), Latin lūx ("light"), Russian луч ("beam of light"), Armenian լույս ("light").

    Noun

    light

    (plural lights)
    1. (uncountable) The natural medium emanating from the Sun and other very hot sources (now recognised as electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 400-750 nm), within which vision is possible.
      As you can see, this spacious dining-room gets a lot of light in the mornings.
      • 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 5, Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,..., and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 3, Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.
      • 2013-07-20, Out of the gloom, solar plant schemes are of little help to industry or other heavy users of electricity. Nor is solar power yet as cheap as the grid. For all that, the rapid arrival of electric light to Indian villages is long overdue. When the national grid suffers its next huge outage, as it did in July 2012 when hundreds of millions were left in the dark, look for specks of light in the villages.
    2. A source of illumination.
      Put that light out!
      • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 5, He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, ..., the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
    3. Spiritual or mental illumination; enlightenment, useful information.
      Can you throw any light on this problem?
      • ShakespeareHe shall never know
        That I had any light of this from thee.
    4. (in the plural, now rare) Facts; pieces of information; ideas, concepts.
    5. A notable person within a specific field or discipline.
      Picasso was one of the leading lights of the cubist movement.
      • TennysonJoan of Arc, a light of ancient France
    6. (painting) The manner in which the light strikes a picture; that part of a picture which represents those objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the more illuminated part of a landscape or other scene; opposed to shade.
    7. A point of view, or aspect from which a concept, person or thing is regarded.
      I'm really seeing you in a different light today.
      Magoon's governorship in Cuba was viewed in a negative light by many Cuban historians for years thereafter.
      • SouthFrequent consideration of a thing ... shows it in its several lights and various ways of appearance.
    8. A flame or something used to create fire.
      Hey, buddy, you got a light?
    9. A firework made by filling a case with a substance which burns brilliantly with a white or coloured flame.a Bengal light
    10. A window, or space for a window in architecture.
      This facade has eight south-facing lights.
    11. The series of squares reserved for the answer to a crossword clue.
      The average length of a light on a 15×15 grid is 7 or 8.
    12. (informal) A cross-light in a double acrostic or triple acrostic.
    13. Open view; a visible state or condition; public observation; publicity.
      • ShakespeareThe duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answered; he would never bring them to light.
    14. The power of perception by vision.
      • Bible, Psalms xxxviii. 10My strength faileth me; as for the light of my eyes, it also is gone from me.
    15. The brightness of the eye or eyes.
      • ShakespeareHe seemed to find his way without his eyes;
        For out o'door he went without their helps,
        And, to the last, bended their light on me.
    16. A traffic light, or, by extension, an intersection controlled by one.
      To get to our house, turn right at the third light.

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Terms derived from light (noun)

    Origin 2

    From Middle English lighten, lihten, from Old English līhtan, lȳhtan, lēohtan ("to lighten, illuminate, give light, shine; grow light, dawn; light, kindle").

    Full definition of light

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To start (a fire).We lit the fire to get some heat.
    2. (transitive) To set fire to; to set burning; to kindle.She lit her last match.
      • Hakewillif a thousand candles be all lighted from one
      • AddisonAbsence might cure it, or a second mistress
        Light up another flame, and put out this.
    3. (transitive) To illuminate.I used my torch to light the way home through the woods in the night.
      • F. HarrisonOne hundred years ago, to have lit this theatre as brilliantly as it is now lighted would have cost, I suppose, fifty pounds.
      • DrydenThe Sun has set, and Vesper, to supply
        His absent beams, has lighted up the sky.
    4. (intransitive) To become ignited; to take fire.This soggy match will not light.
    5. To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light.
      • LandorHis bishops lead him forth, and light him on.

    Synonyms

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    Derived terms

    Origin 3

    From Middle English light, liht, leoht, from Old English lēoht ("luminous, bright, light, clear, resplendent, renowned, beautiful"), from Proto-Germanic *leuhtaz ("light"), from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ("light"). Cognate with Dutch licht, German licht.

    Adjective

    light

    1. Having light.
      The room is light when the Sun shines through the window.
    2. Pale in colour.
      • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, 'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the Sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.
    3. She had light skin.
    4. (of coffee) Served with extra milk or cream.
      I like my coffee light.

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Origin 4

    From Old English lēoht, from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- ("light"). Cognate with Dutch licht, German leicht, Swedish lätt, Norwegian lett, Albanian lehtë, Latin levis,, Lithuanian lengvas, Sanskrit लघु.

    Adjective

    light

    1. Of low weight; not heavy.My bag was much lighter once I had dropped off the books.
      • AddisonThese weights did not exert their natural gravity ... insomuch that I could not guess which was light or heavy whilst I held them in my hand.
    2. Lightly-built; designed for speed or small loads.We took a light aircraft down to the city.
    3. (having little force or momentum)Gentle; having little force or momentum.This artist clearly had a light, flowing touch.
    4. Easy to endure or perform.light duties around the house
      • DrydenLight sufferings give us leisure to complain.
    5. Low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc.This light beer still gets you drunk if you have enough of it.
    6. Unimportant, trivial, having little value or significance.I made some light comment, and we moved on.
    7. (rail transport, of a locomotive, usually with "run") travelling with no carriages, wagons attached
    8. (obsolete) Unchaste, wanton.
      • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.i:Long after lay he musing at her mood,
        Much grieu'd to thinke that gentle Dame so light,
        For whose defence he was to shed his blood.
      • ShakespeareSo do not you; for you are a light girl.
      • ShakespeareA light wife doth make a heavy husband.
    9. Not heavily armed; armed with light weapons.light troops; a troop of light horse
    10. Not encumbered; unembarrassed; clear of impediments; hence, active; nimble; swift.
      • Francis BaconUnmarried men are best friends, best masters ... but not always best subjects, for they are light to run away.
    11. (dated) Easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile.a light, vain person; a light mind
      • TillotsonThere is no greater argument of a light and inconsiderate person than profanely to scoff at religion.
    12. Indulging in, or inclined to, levity; lacking dignity or solemnity; frivolous; airy.
      • ShakespeareSeneca can not be too heavy, nor Plautus too light.
      • Hawthornespecimens of New England humour laboriously light and lamentably mirthful
    13. Not quite sound or normal; somewhat impaired or deranged; dizzy; giddy.
      • ShakespeareAre his wits safe? Is he not light of brain?
    14. Not of the legal, standard, or usual weight; clipped; diminished.light coin

    Synonyms

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    Adverb

    light

    1. Carrying little.I prefer to travel light.

    Noun

    light

    (plural lights)
    1. (curling) A stone that is not thrown hard enough.

    Verb

    1. (nautical) To unload a ship, or to jettison material to make it lighter
    2. To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off.
      • SpenserHis mailèd habergeon she did undight,
        And from his head his heavy burgonet did light.

    Derived terms

    Origin 5

    Old English līhtan

    Verb

    1. To find by chance.I lit upon a rare book in a second-hand bookseller's.
    2. (archaic) To alight.She fell out of the window but luckily lit on her feet.

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