light means electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye (about 400–750 nanometers): visible light. It carries an Arena rating of 1744, earned across 18 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, light ranks #240 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,933 of 42,749 for Qualifying, #3,659 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #5,193 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
light is pronounced /laɪt/.
Why “light” is a great word
The visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the radiant energy that makes sight possible, and by extension, any such radiation. Its lineage is one of primal brightness, from the Old English *leoht*, back through the Proto-Germanic *leuhtaz* to the ancient Indo-European root *lewk-*. Unlike "luminance" (which is its measured intensity on a surface) or "darkness" (which is merely its absence), light is the primary condition, the agent itself. It is the knife-edge of dawn slicing the horizon, the molten gold pooled on a late afternoon floor, the cold, precise pinprick of a star across the void—the fundamental syntax by which the world is read.
Etymology
From Middle English light, liht, leoht, from Old English lēoht, from Proto-West Germanic *leuht, from Proto-Germanic *leuhtą, from Proto-Indo-European *lewktom, from the root *lewk- (“to shine”). Cognates * Scots licht (“light”) * Saterland Frisian Ljoacht, Lucht (“light”) * West Frisian ljocht (“light”) * Dutch licht (“light”) * German Licht (“light”) * German Low German Licht (“light”) * Limburgish Leech, Leet, Léït (“light”) * Luxembourgish Liicht (“light”) * Vilamovian łicht (“light”) * Yiddish ליכט (likht, “light”) * Danish and Norwegian Bokmål lys (“light”) * Elfdalian liuos (“light”) * Faroese and Icelandic ljós (“light”) * Norwegian Nynorsk ljos, ljus, lys (“light”) * Swedish ljus (“light”) * Latin lūx (“light”) * Russian луч (luč, “beam of light”) * Armenian լույս (luys, “light”)
noun
- Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye (about 400–750 nanometers): visible light.e.g.“As you can see, this spacious dining-room gets a lot of light in the mornings.”
- Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye or in nearby ranges (infrared or ultraviolet radiation).e.g.“black light”
- Electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength.
- A source of illumination.e.g.“Put that light out!”
- A source of illumination.; A lightbulb or similar light-emitting device, regardless of whether it is lit.e.g.“We turned off all the lights and went to sleep.”
- A source of illumination.; A traffic light, or (by extension) an intersection controlled by traffic lights.e.g.“To get to our house, turn right at the third light.”
- Spiritual or mental illumination; enlightenment, useful information.e.g.“Can you throw any light on this problem?”
- Facts; pieces of information; ideas, concepts.e.g.“Now these notions are twofold, actions or habits[…], which are durable lights and notions, which we may use when we will.” — 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
- A notable person within a specific field or discipline.e.g.“Picasso was one of the leading lights of the cubist movement.”
- 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.
- A point of view, or aspect from which a concept, person or thing is regarded.e.g.“I'm really seeing you in a different light today.”
- A flame or something used to create fire.e.g.“"There will, I expect, be many such - possibly whole cities in flames - when we consider how many folk may have dropped with lights in their hands."” — 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
- A flame or something used to create fire.; A cigarette lighter.e.g.“Hey, buddy, you got a light?”
- A firework made by filling a case with a substance which burns brilliantly with a white or coloured flame.e.g.“a Bengal light”
- A window in architecture, carriage design, or motor car design: either the opening itself or the window pane of glass that fills it, if any.e.g.“This facade has eight south-facing lights.”
- A stone that is not thrown hard enough.
- See lights (“lungs”).
- A low-alcohol lager.e.g.“We crossed to the pub on the corner of Carlisle Street and I ordered two schooners of old for him and one of light for me.” — 2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 117:
- A member of the light cavalry.
name
- A surname.
- A place name:; An unincorporated community in Greene County, Arkansas, United States.
- A place name:; An unincorporated community in Maries County, Missouri, United States.
- A place name:; A local government area north of Adelaide, South Australia, named after the River Light; in full, Light Regional Council.
- A place name:; A river in the Mid North region, South Australia, named after William Light; in full, the River Light.
- The 24th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
verb
- To start (a fire).e.g.“We lit the fire to get some heat.”
- To set fire to; to set burning.e.g.“She lit her last match.”
- To illuminate; to provide light for when it is dark.e.g.“I used my torch to light the way home through the woods in the night.”
- To become ignited; to take fire.e.g.“This soggy match will not light.”
- To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light.e.g.“His bishops lead him forth, and light him on.” — 1824, Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations: Richard I and the Abbot of Boxley:
- To make (a bonus) available to be collected by hitting a target, and thus light up the feature light corresponding to that bonus to indicate its availability.e.g.“Light the extra ball by amassing 500 million points in the wizard mode.”
- To unload a ship, or to jettison material to make it lighter.
- To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off.e.g.“His mailèd habergeon she did undight, / And from his head his heavy burgonet did light.” — 1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- To leave; to depart.
- To find by chance.e.g.“I lit upon a rare book in a second-hand bookseller's.”
- To stop upon (of eyes or a glance); to notice.e.g.“"Sacredam!" he cried, when his eyes lit upon Buck. "Dat one dam bully dog! Eh? How moch?"” — 1903 July, Jack London, “Into the Primitive”, in The Call of the Wild, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 34:
- To alight; to land or come down.e.g.“She fell out of the window but luckily lit on her feet.”
adj
- Having light; bright; clear; not dark or obscure.e.g.“The room is light when the Sun shines through the window.”
- Pale or whitish in color; highly luminous and more or less deficient in chroma.e.g.“She had light skin.”
- Served with extra milk or cream.e.g.“I like my coffee light.”
- Having little or relatively little actual weight; not heavy; not cumbrous or unwieldy.e.g.“a light load ; a lighter backpack after having removed the books ; light weapons”
- Having little weight as compared with bulk; of little density or specific gravity.e.g.“feathers and cork are light ; oil is lighter than water”
- Of short or insufficient weight; weighing less than the legal, standard, or proper amount; clipped or diminished.e.g.“to issue light coin”
- Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.; Free from burden or impediment; unencumbered.
- Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.; Lightly built; typically designed for speed or small loads.e.g.“a light aircraft ; a light tank”
- Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.; Not heavily armed; armed with light weapons.e.g.“light infantry; a troop of light horse”
- Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.; Riding high because of no cargo; by extension, pertaining to a ship which is light.e.g.“if a ship is light or partially loaded ; the light draft of a vessel, or its light displacement”
- Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.; Without any piece of equipment attached or attached only to a caboose.e.g.“the light locomotives ; a locomotive may be moved light”
- Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.; With low viscosity.
- Not heavy or soggy; spongy; well raised.e.g.“a light bread ; sponge cake is a light cake”
- Low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc.e.g.“This light beer still gets you drunk if you have enough of it.”
- Slight, not forceful or intense; small in amount or intensity.e.g.“a light drizzle//a light rain was falling//a light snow set in”
- Gentle; having little force or momentum.e.g.“This artist clearly had a light, flowing touch.”
- Easy to endure or perform.e.g.“light duties around the house”
- Unimportant, trivial, having little value or significance.e.g.“I made some light comment, and we moved on.”
adv
- Carrying little.e.g.“I prefer to travel light.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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