blighty

[ blahy-tee ]

noun

, British Slang.

, plural blight·ies.

1. Often Blighty. Britain, or specifically England, as one's home or native land:

   We're sailing for old Blighty tomorrow.

2. a wound or furlough permitting a soldier to be sent back to Britain from the front.
3. military leave.

blighty

¹

/ ˈblaɪtɪ /

noun

1. See white-eye
   another name for white-eye

Blighty

²

/ ˈblaɪtɪ /

noun

1. England; home
2. esp in World War I
   1. Also calleda blighty one a slight wound that causes the recipient to be sent home to England
   2. leave in England

Word History and Origins

Origin of blighty¹

First recorded in 1885–90; from Hindi bilāyatī “the country (i.e., Great Britain),” variant of wilāyatī vilayet

Word History and Origins

Origin of blighty¹

C20: from Hindi bilāyatī foreign land, England, from Arabic wilāyat country, from waliya he rules

Example Sentences

We reckon Harry will allow himself a glass of something bubbly on the plane back to Blighty this evening.

From The Daily Beast

Queen Beatrix may be ready to pack up and go, but here in Blighty, like it or not, our Kings and Queens have a job for life.

From The Daily Beast

It more likely means you are a working class lad from Blighty.

From The Daily Beast

Ive got my dose, an Im bound for Blighty, he said, an gels chuckin flowers in the ambulance in Lunnon.

From Project Gutenberg

Youll soon be tucked up safe in a bed now, or pushin on to the ambulance train and a straight run ome to Blighty.

From Project Gutenberg

Our right section commander got a blighty two days ago and is probably now in England.

From Project Gutenberg

Everywhere we looked there were crowds of them; we thought there were a lot in Blighty, but there seemed to be nothing else here.

From Project Gutenberg

Shortly after this we had several casualties in Platoon 10—two or three were killed, and several wounded and got their "Blighty."

From Project Gutenberg