Light

Light, līt, n. that which shines or is brilliant: the agent by which objects are rendered visible: the power of vision: day: dawn of day: that which gives light, as the sun, a candle: the illuminated part of a picture: means of communicating fire or light: a lighthouse: (fig.) mental or spiritual illumination: enlightenment: knowledge: public view: point of view: a conspicuous person: an aperture for admitting light: (B.) prosperity, favour.—adj. not dark: bright: whitish.—v.t. to give light to: to set fire to: to attend with a light.—v.i. to become light or bright:—pr.p. light′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. light′ed or lit.—adj. Light′able.—n. Light′-ball, a composition of saltpetre, sulphur, resin, and linseed-oil formed into a ball, and used by soldiers to give light during military operations.—n.pl. Light′-dues, tolls taken from ships in certain waters, for the maintenance of lighthouses.—ns. Light′er; Light′house, a tower-like construction exhibiting a light for indicating to vessels, when nearing a port or coasting along shore, the proximity of rocks, shoals, and other dangers; Light′house-man, Light′-keep′er, the keeper of a lighthouse.—adj. Light′less.—ns. Light′ness; Light′-room, in a man-of-war, a small room separated from the magazine by thick glass windows, and used to illuminate it: the room in a lighthouse containing the lighting apparatus; Light′-ship, a stationary ship carrying a light and serving the purpose of a lighthouse in very deep waters.—adj. Light′some, full of light.—n. Light′wave, a wave of the luminous ether.—Light of nature, intellectual perception or intuition: (theol.) man's capacity of discovering truth unaided by revelation.—Between the lights, in the twilight; Between two lights, under cover of darkness; Bring to light, to reveal; Children of light, Christians as under the illumination of the Divine light, that illumination which comes directly from God; Come to light, to be revealed; Fixed light, in lighthouses, a light which is maintained steadily without change, as opposed to a revolving light; Floating light, a light displayed at the mast-head of a lightship to show dangers to navigation; Foot, Ground, lights, a row of lights used on a stage to light up the base of a scene; Inner light, spiritual illumination, light divinely imparted; Northern lights, aurora borealis; See the light, to come into view; Stand in one's own light, to hinder one's own advantage. [A.S. leóht; Ger. licht.]