alight
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a·light 1
(ə-līt′)intr.v. a·light·ed or a·lit (ə-lĭt′), a·light·ing, a·lights
1. To come down and settle, as after flight: "A swarm of black birds flew across the road and alighted in a pecan tree" (Ernest J. Gaines).
2. To get down, as from a vehicle; dismount: The queen alighted from the carriage.
3. To come by chance: alight on a happy solution.
[Middle English alighten, from Old English ālīhtan : ā-, intensive pref. + līhtan, to relieve of a burden (from līht, light; see light2).]
a·light 2
(ə-līt′)adj.
1. Burning; lighted: The discarded match was still alight.
2. Illuminated: The sky was alight with millions of stars.
[Middle English, past participle of alighten, to set on fire, from Old English ālīhtan, to illuminate : ā-, intensive pref. + līhtan, to shine (from lēoht, a light; see light1).]
a·light′ adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
alight
(əˈlaɪt)vb (intr) , alights, alighting, alighted or alit
1. (usually foll by from) to step out (of) or get down (from): to alight from a taxi.
2. to come to rest; settle; land: a thrush alighted on the wall.
[Old English ālīhtan, from a-2 + līhtan to make less heavy, from līht light2]
alight
(əˈlaɪt)adj, adv (postpositive)
1. burning; on fire
2. illuminated; lit up
[Old English ālīht lit up, from ālīhtan to light up; see light1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
a•light1
(əˈlaɪt)v.i. a•light•ed a•lit, a•light•ing.
1. to dismount from a horse, descend from a vehicle, etc.
2. to settle or stay after descending; come to rest.
[before 1000; Middle English; Old English ālīhtan=ā- a-3 + līhtan to relieve (orig. an animal mount) of weight, light2]
a•light2
(əˈlaɪt)adv., adj.
1. provided with light; lighted up.
2. on fire; burning.
[before 1000; now taken as a-1 + light1; orig. past participle of alight to light up (Middle English alihten, Old English onlīhtan=on- a-1 + līhtan to light1)]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
alight
If something is alight, it is burning.
The fire was safely alight.
A candle was alight on the chest of drawers.
To set something alight means to cause it to start burning.
...paraffin that had been poured on the ground and set alight.
Be Careful!
You do not use alight in front of a noun. You do not say, for example, 'People rushed out of the alight building'. You say 'People rushed out of the burning building'.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
alight
Past participle: alit/alighted
Gerund: alighting
Imperative |
---|
alight |
alight |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb | 1. | alight - to come to rest, settle; "Misfortune lighted upon him" |
2. | alight - come down; "the birds alighted" | |
Adj. | 1. | alight - lighted up by or as by fire or flame; "forests set ablaze (or afire) by lightning"; "even the car's tires were aflame"; "a night aflare with fireworks"; "candles alight on the tables"; "houses on fire" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
alight
1verb
alight
2adjective lit up, bright, brilliant, shining, illuminated, fiery Her face was alight with happiness.
set alight set on fire, ignite, set ablaze, light, set burning, set aflame, set blazing, set flaming, set flaring The rioters set several buildings alight.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
alight 1
verbTo come to rest on the ground:
alight on or upon
Archaic. To find or meet by chance:
bump into, chance on (or upon), come across, come on (or upon), find, happen on (or upon), light on (or upon), run across, run into, stumble on (or upon), tumble on.
Idiom: meet up with.
alight 2
adjectiveThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مُشْتَعِل، مَضْطَرِميَتَرَجَّل، يَنَزِل مِنيَحُطُّ
hořícípřistátsestoupitsnést sevystoupit
i brandlandestrålende
logandi, ljómandisetjaststíga út, fara niîur
degošsgaišsizkāptlīksmsnokāpt
zniesť sa
inmekkonmaktutuşmuşyanmakta
alight
1 [əˈlaɪt] ADJ1. (lit) to be alight [fire] → estar ardiendo; [lamp] → estar encendido or (LAm) prendido
to keep a fire alight → mantener un fuego ardiendo
to set alight → pegar fuego a, incendiar
to keep a fire alight → mantener un fuego ardiendo
to set alight → pegar fuego a, incendiar
2. (fig) alight with [+ happiness, enthusiasm] → resplandeciente de
alight
2 [əˈlaɪt] VI2. (on branch, etc) [bird, insect] → posarse (on sobre)
alight on VI + PREP [+ fact, idea] → caer en la cuenta de, darse cuenta de
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
alight
[əˈlaɪt] adj
(= lit) [match, fire] → allumé(e) (= on fire) [building, grass] → en feu
to set sth alight → mettre le feu à qch
to set o.s. alight → s'immoler par le feu
to set sth alight → mettre le feu à qch
to set o.s. alight → s'immoler par le feu
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
alight
1 (form)vi
(person) → aussteigen (from aus); (from horse) → absitzen (from von)
(bird) → sich niederlassen (→ on auf +dat); his eyes alighted on the ring → sein Blick fiel auf den Ring
alight
2Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
alight
1 [əˈlaɪt] adj to be alight (building) → essere in fiamme; (fire) → essere acceso/aalight
2 [əˈlaɪt] vi (from vehicle) to alight (from) → scendere (da); (bird) to alight (on) → posarsi (su)Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
alight1
(əˈlait) – past tense, past participle aˈlighted – verb1. to get down from or out of. to alight from a bus.
2. (with on) to settle or land on. The bird alighted on the fence.
alight2
(əˈlait) adjective burning; very bright. The bonfire was still alight; His eyes were alight with joy.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.