What does light mean?

What does light mean?. The world's largest and most trusted free online dictionary: definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more.

What does light mean? - The Free Dictionary

Search

[n] (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation(the light was filtered through a soft glass window)[v] make lighter or brighter(This lamp lightens the room a bit)[a] of comparatively little physical weight or density(a light load magnesium is a light metal--havi

light

light - The Free Dictionary

[n] (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
(the light was filtered through a soft glass window)

[v] make lighter or brighter
(This lamp lightens the room a bit)

[a] of comparatively little physical weight or density
(a light load magnesium is a light metal--having a specific gravity of 1.74 at 20 degrees C)

[r] with few burdens
(experienced travellers travel light)

[n] any device serving as a source of illumination
(he stopped the car and turned off the lights)

[v] begin to smoke
(After the meal, some of the diners lit up)

[a] (used of color) having a relatively small amount of coloring agent
(light blue light colors such as pastels a light-colored powder)

[n] a particular perspective or aspect of a situation
(although he saw it in a different light, he still did not understand)

[v] to come to rest, settle
(Misfortune lighted upon him)

[a] of the military or industry; using (or being) relatively small or light arms or equipment
(light infantry light cavalry light industry light weapons)

[n] the quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light
(its luminosity is measured relative to that of our sun)

[v] cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat
(Great heat can ignite almost any dry matter Light a cigarette)

[a] not great in degree or quantity or number
(a light sentence a light accent casualties were light light snow was falling light misty rain light smoke from the chimney)

[n] an illuminated area
(he stepped into the light)

[v] fall to somebody by assignment or lot
(The task fell to me It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims)

[a] psychologically light; especially free from sadness or troubles
(a light heart)

[n] a condition of spiritual awareness; divine illumination
(follow God's light)

[v] alight from (a horse)

[a] characterized by or emitting light
(a room that is light when the shutters are open the inside of the house was airy and light)

[n] the visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures
(he could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark)

[a] (used of vowels or syllables) pronounced with little or no stress
(a syllable that ends in a short vowel is a light syllable a weak stress on the second syllable)

[n] a person regarded very fondly
(the light of my life)

[a] easily assimilated in the alimentary canal; not rich or heavily seasoned
(a light diet)

[n] having abundant light or illumination
(they played as long as it was light as long as the lighting was good)

[a] (used of soil) loose and large-grained in consistency
(light soil)

[n] mental understanding as an enlightening experience
(he finally saw the light can you shed light on this problem?)

[a] (of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims
(efforts to obtain a clean bass in orchestral recordings clear laughter like a waterfall clear reds and blues a light lilting voice like a silver bell)

[n] merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance
(he had a sparkle in his eye there's a perpetual twinkle in his eyes)

[a] moving easily and quickly; nimble
(the dancer was light and graceful a lightsome buoyant step walked with a light tripping step)

[n] public awareness
(it brought the scandal to light)

[a] demanding little effort; not burdensome
(light housework light exercise)

[n] a divine presence believed by Quakers to enlighten and guide the soul

[a] of little intensity or power or force
(the light touch of her fingers a light breeze)

[n] a visual warning signal
(they saw the light of the beacon there was a light at every corner)

[a] (physics, chemistry) not having atomic weight greater than average
(light water is ordinary water)

[n] a device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires
(do you have a light?)

[a] weak and likely to lose consciousness
(suddenly felt faint from the pain was sick and faint from hunger felt light in the head a swooning fit light-headed with wine light-headed from lack of sleep)

[a] very thin and insubstantial
(thin paper light summer dresses)

[a] marked by temperance in indulgence
(abstemious with the use of adverbs a light eater a light smoker ate a light supper)

[a] less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
(a light pound a scant cup of sugar regularly gives short weight)

[a] having little importance
(losing his job was no light matter)

[a] intended primarily as entertainment; not serious or profound
(light verse a light comedy)

[a] silly or trivial
(idle pleasure light banter light idle chatter)

[a] designed for ease of movement or to carry little weight
(light aircraft a light truck)

[a] having relatively few calories
(diet cola light (or lite) beer lite (or light) mayonnaise a low-cal diet)

[a] (of sleep) easily disturbed
(in a light doze a light sleeper a restless wakeful night)

[a] casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
(her easy virtue he was told to avoid loose (or light) women wanton behavior)

Other vocabulary

l, l'aquila, l'enfant, l-dopa, l-p, l-plate, l-shaped, l. m. montgomery, l. monocytogenes, l. ron hubbard, l. s. lowry, la, la crosse, la fayette, la fontaine, la paz, la plata, la rochefoucauld, la spezia, la tour, la-di-da, laager, lab, lab bench, lab coat, laban, labanotation, labdanum, label, labeled, i, i chronicles, i corinthians, i esdra, i john, i kings, i maccabees, i peter, i samuel, i thessalonians, i timothy, i-beam, i. a. richards, i. f. stone, i. m. pei, i.d., i.e., i.e.d., i.q., i.w.w., ia, iaa, iaea, iago, iamb, iambic, iambus, ian douglas smith, ian fleming, ian lancaster fleming

Dictionary

A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies, pronunciations, translation, etc. It is a lexicographical reference that shows inter-relationships among the data.

A broad distinction is made between general and specialized dictionaries. Specialized dictionaries include words in specialist fields, rather than a complete range of words in the language. Lexical items that describe concepts in specific fields are usually called terms instead of words, although there is no consensus whether lexicology and terminology are two different fields of study. In theory, general dictionaries are supposed[citation needed] to be semasiological, mapping word to definition, while specialized dictionaries are supposed to be onomasiological, first identifying concepts and then establishing the terms used to designate them. In practice, the two approaches are used for both types. There are other types of dictionaries that do not fit neatly into the above distinction, for instance bilingual (translation) dictionaries, dictionaries of synonyms (thesauri), and rhyming dictionaries. The word dictionary (unqualified) is usually understood to refer to a general purpose monolingual dictionary.

There is also a contrast between prescriptive or descriptive dictionaries; the former reflect what is seen as correct use of the language while the latter reflect recorded actual use. Stylistic indications (e.g. "informal" or "vulgar") in many modern dictionaries are also considered by some to be less than objectively descriptive.

The first recorded dictionaries date back to Sumerian times around 2300 BCE, in the form of bilingual dictionaries, and the oldest surviving monolingual dictionaries are Chinese dictionaries c. 3rd century BCE. The first purely English alphabetical dictionary was A Table Alphabeticall, written in 1604, and monolingual dictionaries in other languages also began appearing in Europe at around this time. The systematic study of dictionaries as objects of scientific interest arose as a 20th-century enterprise, called lexicography, and largely initiated by Ladislav Zgusta. The birth of the new discipline was not without controversy, with the practical dictionary-makers being sometimes accused by others of having an "astonishing" lack of method and critical-self reflection.