Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Lĭg'gĕr, n. p. 772See LEDGER.Light, n. p. 772That agent or force in nature by the action of which upon the organs of sight, objects from which it proceeds are rendered visible; regarded formerly as consisting of material particles, or…Light (lĭt), a. p. 772Not dark or obscure; bright; clear; as, the morning is light: the apartment is light. 2. White or whitish; not intense or very marked; moderately colored; as, a light color; a light brown; a light…Līght, a. p. 773Having little weight; not tending to the center of gravity with force; not heavy. The weights did not exert their natural gravity, . . . insomuch that I could not guess which was light or heavy…Līght, v. t. p. 773To set fire to; to kindle; to inflame; as, to light a candle or lamp;—sometimes with up; as, to light up an inextinguishable flame. 2. To give light to; to illuminate; to fill or spread over with…Līght, v. t. p. 773To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off. [Obs.] “From his head the heavy burgonet did light.” Spenser.Light, v. i. p. 773To come to by chance; to happen to find; to fall;—with on, upon; formerly with into. They shall light into atheistical company. South. And here we lit on Aunt Elizabeth, And Lilia with the rest, and…Light, adv. p. 773Lightly; cheaply. Hooker.Light'-ball, n. p. 773(Mil.) A ball of combustible materials, used to afford light, especially to one's own operations.Light'-băr'rel, n. p. 773(Mil.) An empty powder barrel pierced with holes and filled with shavings soaked in pitch, used to light up a ditch, or breach.Light'-boat, n. p. 773A vessel having a large, elevated light, and anchored off shore, to guide seamen;— called also light-ship. Simmonds.Light'-brāin, n. p. 773An empty-headed or weak-minded person. Martin.Light'-dūes, n. pl. p. 773(Com.) Tolls levied on ships navigating certain waters, for the maintenance of light-houses.Light'en, v. i. p. 773To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with an instantaneous illumination; to shine like lightning; to flash. This dreadful night, That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars As doth the…Light'en, v. t. p. 773To make light or clear; to dissipate darkness from; to fill with light; to spread over with light; to illuminate; to enlighten, as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets.…Light'en, v. t. p. 773To make lighter, or less heavy; to reduce in weight; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden. 2. To make less burdensome or afflictive; to alleviate; as, to lighten the cares…Light'er, n. p. 773One who, or that which, lights; as, a lighter of lamps. 2. (Naut.) A large, open boat or barge, used in lightening or unloading ships; sometimes, also, in loading them.Light'er-age, n. p. 773The price paid for unloading ships by lighters or boats. 2. The act of thus unloading into lighters or boats.Light'er-man, n. p. 773A man who manages a lighter; a boatman.Light'-fĭn'gered, a. p. 773Dexterous in taking and conveying away; thievish; addicted to petty thefts. Fuller.Light'-foot or Light'-foot'ed, a. p. 773Nimble in running or dancing; active. Light-foot Iris brought it yester-eve. Tennyson.Light'ful, a. p. 773Full of light; bright. [Rare.] “Lightful presence.” Marston.Light'-hand/ed, a. p. 773(Naut.) Not having a full complement of men; as, a vessel is light-handed.Light'-hĕad/ĕd, a. p. 773Disordered in the head; dizzy; delirious. 2. Thoughtless; heedless; weak; volatile; unsteady. Clarendon.Light'-head/ed-ness, n. p. 773State or quality of being light-headed; disorder of the head; dizziness; deliriousness.Light'-heärt'ed, a. p. 773Free from grief or anxiety; gay; cheerful; merry.Light'-heart'ed-ly, adv. p. 773With a light heart.Light'-heärt'ed-ness, n. p. 773The state of being free from care or grief; cheerfulness.Light'-heeled, a. p. 773Lively in walking or running; brisk.Light'-hôrse, n. p. 773(Mil.) Light-armed cavalry.Light'-house, n. p. 773A tower or building with a powerful light at top, erected at the entrance of a port, or at some important point on a coast, to serve as a guide to mariners at night; a pharos.Light'-in'fant-ry, n. p. 773(Mil.) A body of armed men, selected and trained for rapid evolutions, often employed to cover and assist other troops.Light'-i'ron, n. p. 773A candlestick.Light'-lĕgged, a. p. 773Nimble; swift of foot. Sidney.Light'less, a. p. 773Destitute of light; dark.Light'ly, adv. p. 773With little weight; as, to tread lightly; to press lightly. 2. Without deep impression. The soft ideas of the cheerful note, Lightly received, were easily forgot. Prior. 3. Without dejection…Light'-mīnd'ed, a. p. 773Unsettled; unsteady; volatile; not considerate.Light'ness, n. p. 773Want of weight; levity; —the contrary to heaviness; as, the lightness of air compared with water; lightness of the animal spirits. 2. Inconstancy; unsteadiness; the quality of mind which disposes it…Light’ning, n. p. 773A discharge of atmospheric electricity, accompanied by a vivid flash of light, commonly from one cloud to another, sometimes from a cloud to the earth. The sound produced by the electricity in…Light'ning-bŭg, n. p. 773An insect, a kind of firefly, common in the Northern States of America.Light'ning-glànce, n. p. 773A glance or darting of lightning. 2. A glance or flash of the eye, like lightning.Light'ning-rōd, n. p. 773A metallic rod erected to protect buildings or vessels from lightning.Light'-o'-lōve, n. p. 773An old tune of a dance, the name of which made it a proverbial expression of levity, especially in love matters. “Best sing it to the tune of light-o'-love.” Shak. 2. Hence, a light or wanton woman.…Light'-room, n. p. 773(Naut.) A small apartment, having double glass windows toward the magazine, and containing lights by which the gunner fills cartridges.Lights, n. pl. p. 773The lungs; the organs of breathing in brute animals.Light'sōme, a. p. 773Luminous; not dark; not obscure or gloomy. “The lightsome realms of love.” Dryden. White walls make rooms more lightsome than black. Bacon. 2. Gay; airy; cheering; exhilarating. [Rare, except in…Light'sōme-ness, n. p. 773The quality of being light;—opposed to dark-ness, or darksomeness. 2. Cheerfulness; merriment; levity.Light'y, a. p. 773Illuminated; not dark or obscure; light. [Obs.] Wycliffe.Lign-ăl'ōes, n. p. 773Aloes-wood, or agallochum, a sweet-scented tree allied to sandal-wood.Lĭg'ne-oūs, a. p. 773Made of wood; consisting of wood; resembling wood; woody. Ligneous marble, wood coated or prepared so as to resemble marble.Lig-nĭf'er-oûs, a. p. 774Yielding or producing wood.Lig'ni-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 774The process of becoming or of converting into wood, or the hard substance of a vegetable.Lĭg'ni-fôrm, a. p. 774Like wood; resembling wood.Lĭg'ni-fȳ, v. t. p. 774To convert into wood.Lĭg'ni-fȳ, v. i. p. 774To become wood.Lĭg'nīne, n. p. 774(Chem.) An essential constituent of the ligneous fiber in plants. This fiber consists of lignine and cellulose, with various impurities, and is composed, like starch, of carbon and the constituents…Lĭg'ni-pēr'doŭs, a. p. 774Wood-destroying; — said of certain insects.Lĭg'nîte, n. p. 774(Min.) Mineral coal retaining the texture of the wood from which it was formed, and burning with an empyreumatic odor. It is of more recent origin than the anthracite bituminous coal of the proper…Lig-nĭt'ic, a. p. 774Containing lignite; resembling lignite; as, lignitic clay. Dana.Lĭg'ni-tĭf'er-oŭs, a. p. 774Bearing or producing wood; lignitic. Dana.