alight

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English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: ə-līt', IPA(key): /əˈlaɪt/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪt

Etymology 1

From Middle English alighten, from a merger of Old English ālīhtan (“to alight, dismount”), from prefix ā- (compare Gothic 𐌿𐍃- (us-), German er- originally meaning "out") + līhtan (“to alight”); and Old English ġelīhtan (“to alight, approach, come, come down, dismount”); equivalent to a- +‎ light (“to dismount”).

Passengers can only alight from buses at an alighting point, and cannot board them.

Verb

alight (third-person singular simple present alights, present participle alighting, simple past and past participle alighted or alit)

  1. (intransitive, with from) To get off or exit a vehicle or animal; to descend; to dismount.
    He alighted from his horse.
    Passengers are alighting from the carriage.
  2. (intransitive, with on or at) To descend and settle, lodge, rest, or stop.
    A flying bird alights on a tree.
    Snow alights on a roof.
    • 1886-88, Richard F. Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night:
      Now when he had reached the King's capital wherein was Alaeddin, he alighted at one of the Kháns; and, when he had rested from the weariness of wayfare, he donned his dress and went down to wander about the streets, where he never passed a group without hearing them prate about the pavilion and its grandeur and vaunt the beauty of Alaeddin and his lovesomeness, his liberality and generosity, his fine manners and his good morals.
    • 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 25:
      In 1851 the Great Northern Railway had reached London and began operating into a terminus at Maiden Lane, just north of the New Road [later renamed Euston Road]. In 1854 they moved up to the New Road itself, with the opening of King's Cross station, east of Euston. The railways were alighting on the New Road like birds perching on a branch (the Midland Railway would open St Pancras, between Euston and King's Cross in 1868), and Pearson took note.
  3. (intransitive, followed by upon) To find by accident; to come upon.
  4. (intransitive) To befall or betide.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.iii:
      His fearefull friends weare out the wofull night, / Ne dare to weepe, nor seeme to vnderstand / The heauie hap, which on them is alight, / Affraid, least to themselues the like mishappen might.

Synonyms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English alighten, from a merger of Old English ālīhtan (“to lighten, relieve, alleviate, take off, take away, alight”) and Old English ġelīhtan (“to lighten, mitigate, assuage”); equivalent to a- +‎ light.

Verb

alight (third-person singular simple present alights, present participle alighting, simple past and past participle alighted)

  1. (transitive) To make light or less heavy; lighten; alleviate.

Etymology 3

From Middle English alighten, from Old English ālīhtan (“to light up, enlighten”); equivalent to a- +‎ light. Cognate with German erleuchten (“to light up, illuminate”).

Verb

alight (third-person singular simple present alights, present participle alighting, simple past and past participle alit or alighted)

  1. (transitive) To light; light up; illuminate.
  2. (transitive) To set light to; light.

Etymology 4

From Middle English alight, from Old English *ālīhted, past participle of ālīhtan (“to alight”); see above.

Alternative forms

Adjective

alight (not comparable)

  1. Lit, on fire, switched on.
    The sticks were damp and wouldn't catch alight.
  2. (figuratively) Lit; on fire, burning.
    Her face was alight with happiness.

Usage notes

Used only as a predicative.

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

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