Contextualizebeta

alight

verb
/əˈlaɪt/US

Etymology

The verb is probably derived partly: * from Middle English alighten (“to kindle, light, set on fire; to begin burning; to become bright, shine; to arouse, rouse, stir; (figuratively) to enlighten spiritually, illuminate”) [and other forms], from Old English ālīhtan, ālȳhtan (“to light up; enlighten”) (perhaps modelled after Latin illūmināre, the present active infinitive of illūminō (“to brighten, illuminate, light up”)), from ā- (prefix meaning ‘away, from, off, out’) + līhtan, līehtan (“to glow, to shine; to illuminate, to light”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“to see; to shine; bright”)); and * from Middle English onlighten (“to cause (something) to shine; to clarify; (figuratively) to enlighten spiritually”) [and other forms], from Old English onlīhtan, a variant of inlīhtan (“to give light to, brighten, illuminate; to cause to shine; to shine; (figuratively) to give clear sight; to clear a mental fog, enlighten”), from Proto-Germanic *inliuhtijaną (“to enlighten, illumine”), from *in (“in; into”) + *liuhtijaną (“to give light, shine”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk-; see above); and * from later uses of alight (adjective). The English word is analysable as a- (prefix meaning ‘away, from, off, out’) + light (“to start (a fire); to burn, set fire to; to become ignited, take fire; to provide light, illuminate; to show the way by means of a light”). The adjective and adverb are derived from Late Middle English alight (adjective) [and other forms], from Old English ālīht, ālȳht, a past participle form of Old English ālīhtan, ālȳhtan (verb) (see above); but have also been subsequently interpreted as a- (prefix meaning ‘at; in; on’, used to show a condition, manner, or state) + light (“not dark or obscure, bright, clear; highly luminous”). Cognates * German erleuchten (“to light up, illuminate”)

  1. inherited from ālīht
  2. inherited from alight
  3. inherited from *lewk-✻
  4. inherited from *inliuhtijaną✻ — “to enlighten, illumine”
  5. inherited from onlīhtan
  6. inherited from onlighten — “to cause (something) to shine; to clarify; (figuratively) to enlighten spiritually”
  7. inherited from *lewk-✻ — “to see; to shine; bright”
  8. inherited from ālīhtan
  9. inherited from alighten — “to kindle, light, set on fire; to begin burning; to become bright, shine; to arouse, rouse, stir; (figuratively) to enlighten spiritually, illuminate”

Definitions

  1. To make less heavy

    To make less heavy; to lighten; to alleviate, to relieve.

  2. Often followed by from or off

    Often followed by from or off: to get off an animal which one has been riding; to dismount; to descend or exit from a vehicle; hence, to complete one's journey; to stop.

    • He alighted from his horse.
    • Passengers are alighting from the carriage.
    • Madam, there is a-lighted at your gate / A yong Venetian, one that comes before / To ſignifie th'approaching of his Lord, / From whom he bringeth ſenſible regreets; […]

  3. Often followed by at, on, or upon

    Often followed by at, on, or upon: of something aloft: to descend and settle; to land, to lodge, to rest.

    • A flying bird alights upon a tree.
    • Snow alights on a roof.
    • His fearefull freends vveare out the vvofull night, / Ne dare to vveepe, nor ſeeme to vnderſtand / The heauie hap, vvhich on them is alight, / Affraid, leaſt to themſelues the like miſhappen might.
  4. ›+ 9 more definitions

    1. To come down or go down

      To come down or go down; to descend.

    2. Often followed by on or upon

      Often followed by on or upon: of a blow, something thrown, etc.: to land heavily.

      • But ſtorms of Stones, from the proud Temple's height, / Pour down, and on our batter'd Helms alight.

    3. To arrive.

      • Madam, heres a pretty hanſome ſtripling, nevv alight, / Enquires for Don Antonio.

    4. To cast light on (something)

      To cast light on (something); to illuminate, to light up.

    5. To set light to (something)

      To set light to (something); to set (something) on fire; to ignite, to light.

      • The officer hauing by this time alighted his lampe, entred into the roome to ſee him, vvhom he accounted to be dead, […]

    6. Burning, lit, on fire.

      • The burning embers and the dry wind quickly set the whole neighbourhood alight.
      • The sticks were damp and wouldn’t catch alight.
      • If a train enters the forward section before its description has been transmitted, a "not described" lamp is illuminated on the transmitter, an alarm buzzer is sounded, and the lamp remains alight until a description has been transmitted.

    7. Often followed by with

      Often followed by with: shining with light; luminous, radiant; also, brightly coloured; vivid.

    8. Aglow with activity or emotion.

      • Her face was alight with happiness.
      • But such a fierce, little, rapid, sparkling, energetic, she-devil I never beheld. She was alight and flaming, all the time.

    9. Chiefly in set alight

      Chiefly in set alight: in flames, on fire; aflame.

      • Each chapel had its saintly shrine, hung around with offerings; its picture above the altar, although closely veiled, if by any painter of renown; and its hallowed tapers, burning continually, to set alight the devotion of the worshippers.

The neighborhood

Derived

alighting, alightment, set the heather alight

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for alight. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA