805
lightweight
light's on, but nobody's home infml a person is awake but
not involved in their surroundings → see also GREEN LIGHT,
LEADING LIGHT, LIGHTS, NORTHERN LIGHTS, RED LIGHT
light² v lit /lɪt/ or lighted 1 [I;T(UP)] to (cause to) start to burn;
IGNITE: He lit (up) a cigarette. | The fire won't lit. → see FIRE
(USAGE) 2 [T] to give light to: The stage is lit by several
powerful spotlights. 3 [I;T(UP)] to (cause to) become bright
with pleasure or excitement: Suddenly a smile lit (up) her
face. | Her face lit up (with joy) when she saw him com-
ing. 4 [T+obj+adv/prep] old-fash to show the way with a light: I
lighted him up the stairs to bed with a candle.
Lit is more common than lighted as the past and
past participle of light except in sense 4 or when it
stands as an adjective before the noun: He's lit a match. |
The match is lit. | a lighted match
light up phr v [I;T(= light sthg, up)] 1 to make or become bright
with light or colour: The candles on the Christmas tree lit up
the room. | (fig.) The room lights up when she walks in! 2 to
cause (lamps) to begin giving out light: (BrE) Lighting-up time
is 6.50 tonight. 3 infml to begin to smoke (a cigarette, CIGAR, or
pipe)
light³ adj 1 having light; not dark; bright: It's getting light:
morning is coming. 2 not deep or dark in colour; pale: a
light-coloured dress | light green curtains → compare
DEEP¹ 3 (also lite) of food, not containing very much of a
substance, e.g. fat, that is considered harmful: New light
cheese spread with only half the fat. —ness n [U]
light⁴ adj 1 of little weight; not heavy: It's so light a child
could lift it. 2 of little weight as compared with size or the
usual weight: a light summer suit | a light metal | This case is
surprisingly light. 3 of less than the correct weight [after n]
The crate is a pound (too) light. 4 small in amount; less than
average or expected: a light crop of wheat | light traf-
fic 5 easy to bear or do; not severe, difficult, or tiring: light
punishment | light duties 6 intended only for entertain-
ment; not serious or deep in meaning: light reading | light
comedy 7 soft; gentle; having little force: a light wind | Give
it a light tap with a hammer. 8 quick and graceful in move-
ment: She's light on her feet. 9 a) (of sleep) from which
one wakes easily; not deep b) [A] easily woken: a light
sleeper 10 a) (of meals) small in amount b) (of food) easy
to DIGEST 11 [A] (of a person) habitually eating, drinking,
smoking etc in small amounts: She's a light smoker. 12 (of
wine and other alcoholic drinks) not very strong 13 lit
happy, cheerful, or free of worries: light of heart → see also
LIGHT-HEARTED 14 (of the head) having an unsteady feeling,
as when in a feverish condition or after drinking alcohol;
DIZZY → see also LIGHT-HEADED 15 (of soil) easily broken up;
sandy 16 make light of to treat as of little importance, and
even to joke about: We shouldn't make light of the difficulties
this will cause. → see also LIGHTLY —ness n [U]
light⁵ adv without many cases or possessions (LUGGAGE) (espe-
cially in the phrase travel light)
light⁶ v lit /lɪt/ or lighted [I+adv/prep, especially on, upon] old use or lit
to come down from flight and settle; ALIGHT
light out phr v [I(for)] AmE infml to run away (towards): The fox
lit out for the forest.
light upon/on sthg./sbdy. phr v [T] old use or lit to discover or
find (especially something or someone pleasant) by chance
,light 'aircraft n a small aircraft typically driven by a PROPEL-
LER
,light 'ale also pale ale BrE — n [U] a type of rather weak
pale beer, usually kept in bottles
,light 'beer n [C;U] (a glass of) a kind of beer which does not
contain much alcohol
'Light Bri,gade, the → see CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
'light bulb also bulb n a usually round hollow container of
thin glass with a wire inside, which lights up when electrici-
ty is passed through it: The light bulb's gone (=stopped
working); can you put a new 100-watt bulb in?
light-e-mit-ting di-ode /ˌlaɪt ˌmɪtŋ ˈdaəʊd/ n LED
light-en¹ /'laɪtn/ v [I;T] to (cause to) become brighter or less
dark: The sky began to lighten after the storm. | Paint the
ceiling white to lighten the room. → compare DARKEN
lighten² v [I;T] 1 to make or become less heavy, forceful etc:
The taking on of a new secretary lightened her workload
considerably. 2 to make or become more cheerful or less
troubled: Her mood lightened. 3 Lighten up! AmE infml Be
calm!; Don't worry!
light-er¹ /'laɪtə/ also cigarette lighter n a small instru-
ment that produces a flame for lighting cigarettes, pipes, or
CIGARS: a gas lighter (=that produces a flame by burning gas)
lighter² n a large open flat-bottomed boat used for loading
and unloading ships → compare PINNACE
,light-'fingered adj 1 infml likely to steal small things 2 hav-
ing fingers that move easily and quickly, as in playing an
instrument
,light-'headed adj 1 unable to think clearly or move steadily,
e.g. during fever or after drinking alcohol; DELIRIOUS 2 not
sensible or serious; FRIVOLOUS —ly adv —ness n [U]
,light-'hearted adj 1 cheerful; happy 2 not serious: a tele-
vision comedy that takes a light-hearted look at life in prison
,light 'heavyweight n, adj (a BOXER) heavier than a MIDDLE-
WEIGHT but lighter than a HEAVYWEIGHT
light-house /'laɪthaʊs/ n pl. -houses /ˌhaʊzɪz/ a tower or
other building with a powerful flashing light that guides
ships or warns them of dangerous rocks
,light 'industry n [U] the branch of industry which produces
small goods, e.g. things used in the house
light-ing /'laɪtɪŋ/ n [U] the system, arrangement, or equip-
ment that lights a room, building, street, theatre etc, or the
quality of the light produced: You can completely change the
atmosphere of a room if you change the lighting.
,lighting 'up ,time n [U] BrE the time at which vehicles must
by law put their lights on in the evening, when it begins to
get dark
light-ly /'laɪtli/ adv 1 with little weight or force; gently: He
tapped her lightly on the shoulder. 2 to a slight or little
degree: lightly cooked | (fig.) Only six months in prison for
murder—I call that getting off lightly! (=with little punish-
ment) 3 without careful thought or consideration: I'm not
making these accusations lightly, you know! 4 without
appearing to be concerned: 'Don't worry about it at all,' he
said lightly.
'light ,meter n a piece of equipment used by a photographer
to measure how much light there is: a camera with a built-in
light meter
light-ning /'laɪtnɪŋ/ n [U] 1 a powerful flash of light in the
sky caused by electricity passing from one cloud to another
or to the earth, usually followed by thunder: The tower has
been struck by lightning. → see also FORKED LIGHTNING,
GREASED LIGHTNING, HEAT LIGHTNING, SHEET LIGHT-
NING 2 lightning never strikes twice (in the same place)
saying the same piece of bad luck does not happen to a
person twice
'lightning bug n AmE for FIREFLY
'lightning con,ductor BrE || 'lightning ,rod AmE — n a
metal wire or bar leading from the highest point of a
building to the ground to protect the building from damage
by lightning
,lightning 'strike n a sudden STRIKE (=stopping of work) by
dissatisfied workers without the usual warning of intention
'light ,pen n 1 an object like a pen used in shops to tell the
prices of goods from the BAR CODES on them 2 a piece of
equipment like a pen used to draw lines on a computer
SCREEN
,Light 'Rail ,Vehicle n LRV
,light 'railway n a railway that uses light trains and usually
carries only passengers, not goods. Light railways usually
run in cities, sometimes along streets.
lights /laɪts/ n [P] old-fash the lungs of sheep, pigs etc, used as
food
light-ship /'laɪtˌʃp/ n a small ship that is fixed near a
dangerous place at sea and warns and guides other ships by
means of a powerful flashing light
,lights-'out n [U] the time when a group of people in beds
(in a school, the army etc) must put the lights out and go to
sleep: No talking after lights-out!
light-weight /'laɪt-weɪt/ n 1 a person or thing of less than
average weight 2 a BOXER heavier than a FEATHERWEIGHT
but lighter than a WELTERWEIGHT 3 derog someone who is of