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:

light; light source

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...):

Meaning:

A divine presence believed by Quakers to enlighten and guide the soul

Synonyms:

Christ Within; Inner Light; Light; Light Within

Classified under:

Nouns denoting goals

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:

Nouns denoting people

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)

Comparative and superlative

Comparative: lighter

Superlative: lightest

Sense 1

Meaning:

Characterized by or emitting light

Example:

the inside of the house was airy and light

Classified under:

Adjectives

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:

Adjectives

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:

Meaning:

Moving easily and quickly; nimble

Example:

walked with a light tripping step

Synonyms:

light; lightsome; tripping

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:

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:

fire; ignite; light

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:

Verbs of eating and drinking

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:

alight; light; perch

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:

Adverbs

Credits

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)

© 1991-2023 The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin | Titi Tudorancea^® is a Registered Trademark | Terms of use and privacy policy
Contact