alight

1
[ uh-lahyt ]
/ əˈlaɪt /

verb (used without object), a·light·ed or a·lit, a·light·ing.

to dismount from a horse, descend from a vehicle, etc.
to settle or stay after descending: The bird alighted on the tree.
to encounter or notice something accidentally.

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Origin of alight

1
before 1000; Middle English alighten, Old English ālīhtan, equivalent to ā- a-3 + līhtan to relieve (originally an animal mount) of weight, light2)

Words nearby alight

alienist, alienor, alif, aliform, aligarh, alight, alighting gear, align, aligning punch, alignment, alignment chart
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to alighting

disembark, descend, perch, light, settle, dismount, debark

Example sentences from the Web for alighting

British Dictionary definitions for alighting (1 of 2)

alight1
/ (əˈlaɪt) /

verb alights, alighting, alighted or alit (intr)

(usually foll by from) to step out (of) or get down (from)to alight from a taxi
to come to rest; settle; landa thrush alighted on the wall

Word Origin for alight

Old English ālīhtan, from a- ² + līhtan to make less heavy, from līht light ²

British Dictionary definitions for alighting (2 of 2)

alight2
/ (əˈlaɪt) /

adjective, adverb (postpositive)

burning; on fire
illuminated; lit up

Word Origin for alight

Old English ālīht lit up, from ālīhtan to light up; see light 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012