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(lt), n.[OE. light, liht, AS. leht; akin to OS. lioht, D. & G. licht, OHG. lioht, Goth. liuha, Icel. ljs, L. lux light, lucere to shine, Gr. leyko°s white, Skr. ruc to shine. 122. Cf. Lucid, Lunar, Luminous, Lynx.] 1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous. Light was regarded formerly as consisting of material particles, or corpuscules, sent off in all directions from luminous bodies, and traversing space, in right lines, with the known velocity of about 186,300 miles per second; but it is now generally understood to consist, not in any actual transmission of particles or substance, but in the propagation of vibrations or undulations in a subtile, elastic medium, or ether, assumed to pervade all space, and to be thus set in vibratory motion by the action of luminous bodies, as the atmosphere is by sonorous bodies. This view of the nature of light is known as the undul Light (lt), a.[AS. leht. See Light, n.] [Compar. Lighter (-r); superl. Lightest.] 1. Having light; not dark or obscure; bright; clear; as, the apartment is light. 2. White or whitish; not intense or very marked; not of a deep shade; moderately colored; as, a light color; a light brown; a light complexion. Light v. t.[imp. & p. p.Lighted (-d) or Lit (lt); p. pr. & vb. n.Lighting.] [AS. lhtan, lhtan, to shine. 122. See Light, n.] 1. To set fire to; to cause to burn; to set burning; to ignite; to kindle; as, to light a candle or lamp; to light the gas; -- sometimes with up. If a thousand candles be all lighted from one. Hakewill. And the largest lamp is lit. Macaulay. Absence might cure it, or a second mistress Light up another flame, and put out this. Addison. 2. To give light to; to illuminate; to fill with light; to spread over with light; -- often with up. Ah, hopeless, lasting flames ! like those that burn To light the dead. Pope. One hundred years ago, to have lit this theater as brilliantly as it is now lighted would have cost, I suppose, fifty pounds. F. Harrison. The sun has set, and Vesper, to supply His absent beams, has lighted up the sky. Dryden. 3. To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light. His bishops lead him forth Light v. i. 1. To become ignited; to take fire; as, the match will not light. 2. To be illuminated; to receive light; to brighten; -- with up; as, the room lights up very well. Light a.[Compar.Lighter (-r); superl.Lightest.] [OE. light, liht, AS. lht, leht; akin to D. ligt, G. leicht, OHG. lhti, Icel. lttr, Dan. let, Sw. ltt, Goth. leihts, and perh. to L. levis (cf. Levity), Gr. 'elachy°s small, Skr. laghu light. 125. ] 1. Having little, or comparatively little, weight; not tending to the center of gravity with force; not heavy. These 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. Addison. 2. Not burdensome; easy to be lifted, borne, or carried by physical strength; as, a light burden, or load. Ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt. xi. 29, 30. 3. Easy to be endured or performed; not severe; not difficult; as, a light affliction or task. Chaucer. Light sufferings give us leisure to complain. Dryden. 4. Easy to be digested; not oppressive to the stomach; as, light food; also, containing little nutrim Light (lt), adv.Lightly; cheaply. Hooker. Light v. t.[See Light not heavy, and cf. Light to alight, and Lighten to make less heavy.] To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off. [Obs.] From his head the heavy burgonet did light. Spenser. Light v. i.[imp. & p. p.Lighted (-d) or Lit (lt); p. pr. & vb. n.Lighting.] [AS. lhtan to alight, orig., to relieve (a horse) of the rider's burden, to make less heavy, fr. lht light. See Light not heavy, and cf. Alight, Lighten to make light.] 1. To dismount; to descend, as from a horse or carriage; to alight; -- with from, off, on, upon, at, in. When she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. Gen. xxiv. 64. Slowly rode across a withered heath, And lighted at a ruined inn. Tennyson. 2. To feel light; to be made happy. [Obs.] It made all their hearts to light. Chaucer. 3. To descend from flight, and rest, perch, or settle, as a bird or insect. [The bee] lights on that, and this, and tasteth all. Sir J. Davies. On the tree tops a crested peacock lit. Tennyson. 4. To come down suddenly and forcibly; to fall; -- with on or upon. On me, me only, as the source and spring Of all corruption, all the blame lights due. Milton. 5. To come by chance; to happen; Pilot lamp or light}. (Elec.) A small incandescent telltale lamp on a dynamo or battery circuit to show approximately by its brightness the voltage of the current. スポンサード リンク
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