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LIGHT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
Irregular inflected form: lit
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Any device serving as a source of illumination
Example:
he stopped the car and turned off the lights
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
source of illumination (any device serving as a source of visible electromagnetic radiation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "light"):
torch (a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance)
theater light (any of various lights used in a theater)
strip lighting (light consisting of long tubes (instead of bulbs) that provide the illumination)
running light; sidelight (light carried by a boat that indicates the boat's direction; vessels at night carry a red light on the port bow and a green light on the starboard bow)
searchlight (a light source with reflectors that projects a beam of light in a particular direction)
sconce (a candle or flaming torch secured in a sconce)
room light (light that provides general illumination for a room)
panel light (a light to illuminate an instrument panel)
night-light (light (as a candle or small bulb) that burns in a bedroom at night (as for children or invalids))
navigation light (light on an airplane that indicates the plane's position and orientation; red light on the left (port) wing tip and green light on the right (starboard) wing tip)
jacklight (a light used as a lure in hunting or fishing at night)
houselights (lights that illuminate the audience's part of a theater or other auditorium)
headlamp; headlight (a powerful light with reflector; attached to the front of an automobile or locomotive)
flood; flood lamp; floodlight; photoflood (light that is a source of artificial illumination having a broad beam; used in photography)
fairy light (a small colored light used for decoration (especially at Christmas))
blinker; flasher (a light that flashes on and off; used as a signal or to send messages)
anchor light; riding lamp; riding light (a light in the rigging of a ship that is riding at anchor)
Derivation:
light (make lighter or brighter)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires
Example:
do you have a light?
Synonyms:
igniter; ignitor; light; lighter
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "light"):
match (a burning piece of wood or cardboard)
friction match; lucifer; match (lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction)
fuse; fusee; fuze; fuzee; primer; priming (any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant)
cigar lighter; cigarette lighter; pocket lighter (a lighter for cigars or cigarettes)
Derivation:
light (begin to smoke)
light (cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures
Example:
he could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark
Synonyms:
light; lightness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
visual property (an attribute of vision)
Attribute:
light (characterized by or emitting light)
dark (devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "light"):
aura; aureole; gloriole; glory; halo; nimbus (an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint)
sunniness (lightness created by sunlight)
highlight; highlighting (an area of lightness in a picture)
brightness (the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white)
Derivation:
light (make lighter or brighter)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance
Example:
there's a perpetual twinkle in his eyes
Synonyms:
light; spark; sparkle; twinkle
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
verve; vitality (an energetic style)
aspect; expression; face; facial expression; look (the feelings expressed on a person's face)
Sense 5
Meaning:
The quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light
Example:
its luminosity is measured relative to that of our sun
Synonyms:
brightness; brightness level; light; luminance; luminosity; luminousness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
physical property (any property used to characterize matter and energy and their interactions)
Attribute:
bright (emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts)
dull (emitting or reflecting very little light)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "light"):
illuminance; illumination (the luminous flux incident on a unit area)
incandescence (light from heat)
glow; luminescence (light from nonthermal sources)
Derivation:
light (make lighter or brighter)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Public awareness
Example:
it brought the scandal to light
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
general knowledge; public knowledge (knowledge that is available to anyone)
Sense 7
Meaning:
Mental understanding as an enlightening experience
Example:
can you shed light on this problem?
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
brainstorm; brainwave; insight (the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation)
Sense 8
Meaning:
A particular perspective or aspect of a situation
Example:
although he saw it in a different light, he still did not understand
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
perspective; position; view (a way of regarding situations or topics etc.)
Sense 9
Meaning:
A visual warning signal
Example:
there was a light at every corner
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
visual signal (a signal that involves visual communication)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "light"):
stoplight; traffic light; traffic signal (a visual signal to control the flow of traffic at intersections)
Sense 10
Meaning:
An illuminated area
Example:
he stepped into the light
Classified under:
Nouns denoting spatial position
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
scene (the place where some action occurs)
Derivation:
light (make lighter or brighter)
Sense 11
Meaning:
A divine presence believed by Quakers to enlighten and guide the soul
Synonyms:
Christ Within; Inner Light; Light; Light Within
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("Light" is a kind of...):
ethical motive; ethics; morality; morals (motivation based on ideas of right and wrong)
Sense 12
Meaning:
A person regarded very fondly
Example:
the light of my life
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
friend (a person you know well and regard with affection and trust)
Sense 13
Meaning:
(physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
Example:
the light was filtered through a soft glass window
Synonyms:
light; visible light; visible radiation
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
actinic radiation; actinic ray (electromagnetic radiation that can produce photochemical reactions)
Domain category:
natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "light"):
half-light (a greyish light (as at dawn or dusk or in dim interiors))
glow; incandescence (the phenomenon of light emission by a body as its temperature is raised)
lamplight (light from a lamp)
luminescence (light not due to incandescence; occurs at low temperatures)
meteor; shooting star (a streak of light in the sky at night that results when a meteoroid hits the earth's atmosphere and air friction causes the meteoroid to melt or vaporize or explode)
Moon; moonlight; moonshine (the light of the Moon)
starlight (the light of the stars)
sun; sunlight; sunshine (the rays of the sun)
scintillation ((physics) a flash of light that is produced in a phosphor when it absorbs a photon or ionizing particle)
streamer (light that streams)
torchlight (light from a torch or torches)
twilight (the diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon but its rays are refracted by the atmosphere of the earth)
beam; beam of light; irradiation; light beam; ray; ray of light; shaft; shaft of light (a column of light (as from a beacon))
candle flame; candlelight (the light provided by a burning candle)
corona (one or more circles of light seen around a luminous object)
counterglow; gegenschein (a faint spot of light in the night sky that appears directly opposite the position of the sun; a reflection of sunlight by micrometeoric material in space)
daylight (light during the daytime)
firelight (the light of a fire (especially in a fireplace))
fluorescence (light emitted during absorption of radiation of some other (invisible) wavelength)
friar's lantern; ignis fatuus; jack-o'-lantern; will-o'-the-wisp (a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground)
gaslight (light yielded by the combustion of illuminating gas)
glow; glowing; radiance (the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface)
glow (a steady even light without flames)
Holonyms ("light" is a part of...):
electromagnetic spectrum (the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves)
Derivation:
light (make lighter or brighter)
Sense 14
Meaning:
Having abundant light or illumination
Example:
as long as the lighting was good
Synonyms:
light; lighting
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
illumination (the degree of visibility of your environment)
Antonym:
dark (absence of light or illumination)
Derivation:
light (make lighter or brighter)
Sense 15
Meaning:
A condition of spiritual awareness; divine illumination
Example:
follow God's light
Synonyms:
illumination; light
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("light" is a kind of...):
condition; status (a state at a particular time)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Characterized by or emitting light
Example:
the inside of the house was airy and light
Classified under:
Similar:
ablaze; inflamed; reddened (lighted with red light as if with flames)
autofluorescent (emitting light via self-induced fluorescence)
bioluminescent ((of living organisms) emitting light)
bright (having lots of light either natural or artificial)
candescent (glowing from great heat)
floodlighted; floodlit (illuminated by means of floodlights)
fluorescent (emitting light during exposure to radiation from an external source)
illuminated; lighted; lit; well-lighted (provided with artificial light)
candent; incandescent (emitting light as a result of being heated)
lamplit (lighted by a lamp)
lighting-up (turning lights on)
livid ((of a light) imparting a deathlike luminosity)
luminescent (emitting light not caused by heat)
phosphorescent (emitting light without appreciable heat as by slow oxidation of phosphorous)
sunlit; sunstruck (lighted by sunlight)
white (of summer nights in northern latitudes where the sun barely sets)
Attribute:
light; lightness (the visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures)
Antonym:
dark (devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black)
Derivation:
lightness (the visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
Example:
wanton behavior
Synonyms:
easy; light; loose; promiscuous; sluttish; wanton
Classified under:
Similar:
unchaste (not chaste)
Sense 3
Meaning:
(used of color) having a relatively small amount of coloring agent
Example:
a light-colored powder
Synonyms:
light; light-colored
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
pale (very light colored; highly diluted with white)
palish (slightly pale)
pastel (delicate and pale in color)
powdery (as if dulled in color with a sprinkling of powder)
Also:
white (being of the achromatic color of maximum lightness; having little or no hue owing to reflection of almost all incident light)
Attribute:
value (relative darkness or lightness of a color)
Antonym:
dark ((used of color) having a dark hue)
Derivation:
lightness (having a light color)
Sense 4
Meaning:
(used of soil) loose and large-grained in consistency
Example:
light soil
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
loose (not compact or dense in structure or arrangement)
Derivation:
lightness (the property of being comparatively small in weight)
Sense 5
Meaning:
(of sleep) easily disturbed
Example:
a restless wakeful night
Synonyms:
light; wakeful
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
shallow (not deep or strong; not affecting one deeply)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Demanding little effort; not burdensome
Example:
light exercise
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
undemanding (requiring little if any patience or effort or skill)
Sense 7
Meaning:
Having relatively few calories
Example:
a low-cal diet
Synonyms:
calorie-free; light; lite; low-cal
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
fat-free; fatless; nonfat (without fat or fat solids)
Sense 8
Meaning:
Easily assimilated in the alimentary canal; not rich or heavily seasoned
Example:
a light diet
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
digestible (capable of being converted into assimilable condition in the alimentary canal)
Sense 9
Meaning:
Of comparatively little physical weight or density
Example:
magnesium is a light metal--having a specific gravity of 1.74 at 20 degrees C
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
lightweight (weighing relatively little compared with another item or object of similar use)
airy (having little or no perceptible weight; so light as to resemble air)
buoyant; floaty (tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas)
lighter-than-air (relating to a balloon or other aircraft that flies because it weighs less than the air it displaces)
low-density (having low relative density or specific gravity)
Attribute:
weight (the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity)
Antonym:
heavy (of comparatively great physical weight or density)
Derivation:
lightness (the property of being comparatively small in weight)
Sense 10
Meaning:
Designed for ease of movement or to carry little weight
Example:
a light truck
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
light-duty (not designed for heavy work)
Sense 11
Meaning:
Psychologically light; especially free from sadness or troubles
Example:
a light heart
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
casual; fooling (characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility)
Antonym:
heavy (marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness)
Derivation:
lightness (a feeling of joy and pride)
Sense 12
Meaning:
Not great in degree or quantity or number
Example:
light smoke from the chimney
Classified under:
Adjectives
Antonym:
heavy (unusually great in degree or quantity or number)
Sense 13
Meaning:
(physics, chemistry) not having atomic weight greater than average
Example:
light water is ordinary water
Classified under:
Adjectives
Domain category:
chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)
Antonym:
heavy ((physics, chemistry) being or containing an isotope with greater than average atomic mass or weight)
Sense 14
Meaning:
Of little intensity or power or force
Example:
a light breeze
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
easy; gentle; soft (having little impact)
Antonym:
heavy (of great intensity or power or force)
Sense 15
Meaning:
Moving easily and quickly; nimble
Example:
walked with a light tripping step
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
light-footed ((of movement) having a light and springy step)
Derivation:
lightness (the gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble)
Sense 16
Meaning:
Of the military or industry; using (or being) relatively small or light arms or equipment
Example:
light weapons
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
light-armed; lightly-armed (armed with light weapons)
Antonym:
heavy (of the military or industry; using (or being) the heaviest and most powerful armaments or weapons or equipment)
Sense 17
Meaning:
(of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims
Example:
a light lilting voice like a silver bell
Synonyms:
clean; clear; light; unclouded
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
pure (free of extraneous elements of any kind)
Sense 18
Meaning:
Silly or trivial
Example:
light idle chatter
Synonyms:
idle; light
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
frivolous (not serious in content or attitude or behavior)
Derivation:
lightness (the trait of being lighthearted and frivolous)
Sense 19
Meaning:
Intended primarily as entertainment; not serious or profound
Example:
a light comedy
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
frivolous (not serious in content or attitude or behavior)
Derivation:
lightness (the trait of being lighthearted and frivolous)
Sense 20
Meaning:
Having little importance
Example:
losing his job was no light matter
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
insignificant; unimportant (devoid of importance, meaning, or force)
Sense 21
Meaning:
(used of vowels or syllables) pronounced with little or no stress
Example:
a weak stress on the second syllable
Synonyms:
light; unaccented; weak
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
unstressed (not bearing a stress or accent)
Sense 22
Meaning:
Less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
Example:
regularly gives short weight
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
deficient; insufficient (of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement)
Sense 23
Meaning:
Marked by temperance in indulgence
Example:
ate a light supper
Synonyms:
abstemious; light
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
temperate (not extreme in behavior)
Sense 24
Meaning:
Very thin and insubstantial
Example:
light summer dresses
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
thin (of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section)
Derivation:
lightness (the property of being comparatively small in weight)
Sense 25
Meaning:
Weak and likely to lose consciousness
Example:
light-headed from lack of sleep
Synonyms:
faint; light; light-headed; lightheaded; swooning
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
ill; sick (affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function)
III. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they light ... he / she / it lights
Past simple: lighted /lit
Past participle: lighted /lit
-ing form: lighting
Sense 1
Meaning:
Make lighter or brighter
Example:
This lamp lightens the room a bit
Synonyms:
illume; illuminate; illumine; light; light up
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "light" is one way to...):
lighten; lighten up (become lighter)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "light"):
floodlight (illuminate with floodlights)
spotlight (illuminate with a spotlight, as in the theater)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Derivation:
light (any device serving as a source of illumination)
light (the visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures)
light (the quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light)
light (an illuminated area)
light ((physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation)
light (having abundant light or illumination)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Start or maintain a fire in
Example:
fire the furnace
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Sense 3
Meaning:
Begin to smoke
Example:
After the meal, some of the diners lit up
Synonyms:
fire up; light; light up
Classified under:
Hypernyms (to "light" is one way to...):
ignite; light (cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat)
"Light" entails doing...:
smoke (inhale and exhale smoke from cigarettes, cigars, pipes)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
light (a device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Alight from (a horse)
Synonyms:
dismount; get down; get off; light; unhorse
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Hypernyms (to "light" is one way to...):
come down; descend; fall; go down (move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way)
Domain category:
horseback riding; riding (travel by being carried on horseback)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
Sense 5
Meaning:
To come to rest, settle
Example:
Misfortune lighted upon him
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Hypernyms (to "light" is one way to...):
land; set down (reach or come to rest)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Sense 6
Meaning:
Fall to somebody by assignment or lot
Example:
It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims
Synonyms:
fall; light
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Hypernyms (to "light" is one way to...):
devolve; fall; pass; return (be inherited by)
Verb group:
accrue; fall (come into the possession of)
fall (to be given by assignment or distribution)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
Sense 7
Meaning:
Cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat
Example:
Light a cigarette
Synonyms:
ignite; light
Classified under:
Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering
Hypernyms (to "light" is one way to...):
burn; combust (cause to burn or combust)
Cause:
burn; combust (undergo combustion)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "light"):
fire up; light; light up (begin to smoke)
reignite (ignite anew, as of something burning)
conflagrate; enkindle; inflame; kindle (cause to start burning)
light up (ignite)
flare up (ignite quickly and suddenly, especially after having died down)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Derivation:
lighter (a substance used to ignite or kindle a fire)
lighter; light (a device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires)
IV. (adverb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
With few burdens
Example:
experienced travellers travel light
Synonyms:
light; lightly
Classified under:
Context examples:
These include: • Anxiety • Stress • Lack of food or sleep • Exposure to light • Hormonal changes (in women)
(Migraine, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Each put on one nice light glove, and carried one soiled one, and all pronounced the effect "quite easy and fine".
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
The quantity of 260nm light that is not transmitted through a substance or solution.
(Absorbance at 260nm, NCI Thesaurus)
What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
I was puzzling to make out the subject of a picture on the wall, when the door opened, and an individual carrying a light entered; another followed close behind.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
“Most likely Trelawney's own men,” said the doctor; “those he had picked up for himself before he lit on Silver.”
(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
When aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride is taken up by cells, including cancer cells, and then exposed to certain types of light, it becomes active and kills the cells.
(Aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride, NCI Dictionary)
It is an ordinary plumber’s smoke-rocket, fitted with a cap at either end to make it self-lighting.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
He came in here, said the waiter, looking at the light through the tumbler, ordered a glass of this ale—WOULD order it—I told him not—drank it, and fell dead.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
Also, I say that darkness and light and where we go when we die be different things from the matter of payment of just debt for bad water.
(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)
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