From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Light \Light\ (l[imac]t), n. [OE. light, liht, AS. le['i]ht;
akin to OS. lioht, D. & G. licht, OHG. lioht, Goth.
liuha[thorn], Icel. lj[=o]s, L. lux light, lucere to shine,
Gr. leyko`s white, Skr. ruc to shine. [root]122. Cf. Lucid,
Lunar, Luminous, Lynx.]
1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of
which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered
visible or luminous.
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Note: Light was regarded formerly as consisting of material
particles, or corpuscules, sent off in all directions
from luminous bodies, and traversing space, in right
lines, with the known velocity of about 186,300 miles
per second; but it is now generally understood to
consist, not in any actual transmission of particles or
substance, but in the propagation of vibrations or
undulations in a subtile, elastic medium, or ether,
assumed to pervade all space, and to be thus set in
vibratory motion by the action of luminous bodies, as
the atmosphere is by sonorous bodies. This view of the
nature of light is known as the undulatory or wave
theory; the other, advocated by Newton (but long since
abandoned), as the corpuscular, emission, or Newtonian
theory. A more recent theory makes light to consist in
electrical oscillations, and is known as the
electro-magnetic theory of light.
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2. That which furnishes, or is a source of, light, as the
sun, a star, a candle, a lighthouse, etc.
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Then he called for a light, and sprang in. --Acts
xvi. 29.
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And God made two great lights; the greater light to
rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the
night. --Gen. i. 16.
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3. The time during which the light of the sun is visible;
day; especially, the dawn of day.
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The murderer, rising with the light, killeth the
poor and needy. --Job xxiv.
14.
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4. The brightness of the eye or eyes.
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He seemed to find his way without his eyes;
For out o'door he went without their helps,
And, to the last, bended their light on me. --Shak.
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5. The medium through which light is admitted, as a window,
or window pane; a skylight; in architecture, one of the
compartments of a window made by a mullion or mullions.
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There were windows in three rows, and light was
against light in three ranks. --I Kings
vii.4.
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6. Life; existence.
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O, spring to light, auspicious Babe, be born !
--Pope.
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7. Open view; a visible state or condition; public
observation; publicity.
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The duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answered;
he would never bring them to light. --Shak.
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8. The power of perception by vision.
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My strength faileth me; as for the light of my eyes,
it also is gone from me. --Ps. xxxviii.
10.
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9. That which illumines or makes clear to the mind; mental or
spiritual illumination; enlightenment; knowledge;
information.
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He shall never know
That I had any light of this from thee. --Shak.
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10. Prosperity; happiness; joy; felicity.
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Then shall thy light break forth as the morning,
and thy health shall spring forth speedily. --Is.
lviii. 8.
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11. (Paint.) The manner in which the light strikes upon a
picture; that part of a picture which represents those
objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the
more illuminated part of a landscape or other scene; --
opposed to shade. Cf. Chiaroscuro.
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12. Appearance due to the particular facts and circumstances
presented to view; point of view; as, to state things
fairly and put them in the right light.
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Frequent consideration of a thing . . . shows it in
its several lights and various ways of appearance.
--South.
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13. One who is conspicuous or noteworthy; a model or example;
as, the lights of the age or of antiquity.
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Joan of Arc,
A light of ancient France. --Tennyson.
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14. (Pyrotech.) A firework made by filling a case with a
substance which burns brilliantly with a white or colored
flame; as, a Bengal light.
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Note: Light is used figuratively to denote that which
resembles physical light in any respect, as
illuminating, benefiting, enlightening, or enlivening
mankind.
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Ancient lights (Law), Calcium light, Flash light, etc.
See under Ancient, Calcium, etc.
Light ball (Mil.), a ball of combustible materials, used to
afford light; -- sometimes made so as to be fired from a
cannon or mortar, or to be carried up by a rocket.
Light barrel (Mil.), an empty power barrel pierced with
holes and filled with shavings soaked in pitch, used to
light up a ditch or a breach.
Light dues (Com.), tolls levied on ships navigating certain
waters, for the maintenance of lighthouses.
Light iron, a candlestick. [Obs.]
Light keeper, a person appointed to take care of a
lighthouse or light-ship.
Light money, charges laid by government on shipping
entering a port, for the maintenance of lighthouses and
light-ships.
The light of the countenance, favor; kindness; smiles.
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Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon
us. --Ps. iv. 6.
Northern lights. See Aurora borealis, under Aurora.
To bring to light, to cause to be disclosed.
To come to light, to be disclosed.
To see the light, to come into the light; hence, to come
into the world or into public notice; as, his book never
saw the light.
To stand in one's own light, to take a position which is
injurious to one's own interest.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Ancient \An"cient\, a. [OE. auncien, F. ancien, LL. antianus,
fr. L. ante before. See Ante-, pref.]
1. Old; that happened or existed in former times, usually at
a great distance of time; belonging to times long past;
specifically applied to the times before the fall of the
Roman empire; -- opposed to modern; as, ancient authors,
literature, history; ancient days.
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Witness those ancient empires of the earth.
--Milton.
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Gildas Albanius . . . much ancienter than his
namesake surnamed the Wise. --Fuller.
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2. Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of
great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle. "Our
ancient bickerings." --Shak.
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Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers
have set. --Prov. xxii.
28.
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An ancient man, strangely habited, asked for
quarters. --Scott.
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3. Known for a long time, or from early times; -- opposed to
recent or new; as, the ancient continent.
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A friend, perhaps, or an ancient acquaintance.
--Barrow.
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4. Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable.
[Archaic]
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He wrought but some few hours of the day, and then
would he seem very grave and ancient. --Holland.
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5. Experienced; versed. [Obs.]
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Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the
most ancient in the business of the realm.
--Berners.
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6. Former; sometime. [Obs.]
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They mourned their ancient leader lost. --Pope.
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Ancient demesne (Eng. Law), a tenure by which all manors
belonging to the crown, in the reign of William the
Conqueror, were held. The numbers, names, etc., of these
were all entered in a book called Domesday Book.
Ancient lights (Law), windows and other openings which have
been enjoined without molestation for more than twenty
years. In England, and in some of the United States, they
acquire a prescriptive right.
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Syn: Old; primitive; pristine; antique; antiquated;
old-fashioned; obsolete.
Usage: Ancient, Antiquated, Obsolete, Antique,
Antic, Old. -- Ancient is opposed to modern, and
has antiquity; as, an ancient family, ancient
landmarks, ancient institutions, systems of thought,
etc. Antiquated describes that which has gone out of
use or fashion; as, antiquated furniture, antiquated
laws, rules, etc. Obsolete is commonly used, instead
of antiquated, in reference to language, customs,
etc.; as, an obsolete word or phrase, an obsolete
expression. Antique is applied, in present usage,
either to that which has come down from the ancients;
as, an antique cameo, bust, etc.; or to that which is
made to imitate some ancient work of art; as, an
antique temple. In the days of Shakespeare, antique
was often used for ancient; as, "an antique song," "an
antique Roman;" and hence, from singularity often
attached to what is ancient, it was used in the sense
of grotesque; as, "an oak whose antique root peeps
out; " and hence came our present word antic, denoting
grotesque or ridiculous. We usually apply both ancient
and old to things subject to gradual decay. We say, an
old man, an ancient record; but never, the old stars,
an old river or mountain. In general, however, ancient
is opposed to modern, and old to new, fresh, or
recent. When we speak of a thing that existed
formerly, which has ceased to exist, we commonly use
ancient; as, ancient republics, ancient heroes; and
not old republics, old heroes. But when the thing
which began or existed in former times is still in
existence, we use either ancient or old; as, ancient
statues or paintings, or old statues or paintings;
ancient authors, or old authors, meaning books.
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