alighten

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈlaɪtən/

Etymology 1

From Middle English alighten, from a merger of Old English ālīhtan (“to alight, dismount”), from prefix ā- (compare Gothic 𐌿𐍃- (us-), German er- originally meaning "out") + līhtan (“to alight”); and Old English ġelīhtan (“to alight, approach, come, come down, dismount”); equivalent to alight +‎ -en.

Verb

alighten (third-person singular simple present alightens, present participle alightening, simple past and past participle alightened)

1. To alight, to dismount or get down from.
   • 1971, Shankar's Weekly - Volume 24, Part 2, page 52:

     When I alighten at my destination, I saw them going in the rickshaw.

   • 1975, Bingu Matata, Free Love, page 34:

     Her house was barely half a kilometre away from the nearest bus stage; she alightened with ease and wiped the thin layer of sweat that had accumulated on her forehead.

   • 1990, The Indian Police Journal - Volume 37, page 21:

     In case the train halts on account of such alert, the patrolling parties should alighten from the running train and be on the look out for the offenders.

2. To alight; to land, to descend and rest.
   • 1862, Journal of Horticulture and Practical Gardening - Volume 3, page 163:

     The bees always alighten at the bottom of the spike, and, crawling spirally up it, sucked one flower after the other.

   • 2002, Diana Hignutt, Moonsword, page 214:

     Both of the two jays that had just moved flew out of the tree and alightened in the boughs of a nearby cedar.

   • 2014, Raymond P. Kesner, David S. Olton, Neurobiology of Comparative Cognition:

     Even under the best ecological conditions, only a fraction of the flowers on which a bee alightens provide nectar and/or pollen.

Etymology 2

From Middle English alighten, from a merger of Old English ālīhtan (“to lighten, relieve, alleviate, take off, take away, alight”) and Old English ġelīhtan (“to lighten, mitigate, assuage”); equivalent to a- +‎ lighten.

Verb

alighten (third-person singular simple present alightens, present participle alightening, simple past and past participle alightened)

1. To lighten; to reduce in weight or heaviness.
   • 1850, Thomas Cooper, Captain Cobler; Or, The Lincolnshire Rebellion, page 311:

     I shivered and shook, and would have screqamed in my fright—but the Fiend,—as he seemed to be, —in a hoarse, croaking voice, charged me to keep silence,—saying that I had lain seven years bound for my sin, and that my soul would speedily be sent on an errand to sinners yet on the earth, to warn them from the evil of their ways, —and that, then, my punishment in Purgatory would be alightened.

   • 1965, Thomas Fuller, P. Austin Nuttal, The History of the Worthies of England - Volume 1, page 459:

     On the fifth day Mr. Hedly (who first motioned lot-drawing) and another died, whereby their boat was somewhat alightened.

   • 1997, Andrew J. Brown, Robert Ferrar, page 43:

     An honest poor man dwelling in Faladon beside Alnwick said to me that where he had denied to a gentleman his neighbour an unreasonable request, he answered rigorously these words: I shall alighten thee of that thing which thou bearest thee bold of — and within four hours after, was reaved him sixteen heads of nowt [=cattle].

Etymology 3

From Middle English alighten, from Old English ālīhtan (“to light up, enlighten”); equivalent to a- +‎ light. Cognate with German erleuchten (“to light up, illuminate”).

Verb

alighten (third-person singular simple present alightens, present participle alightening, simple past and past participle alightened)

1. To make light; to illuminate or brighten.
   • 1806, Permiffion, The Laity's Directory, page 62:

     Of those who should be alightened by his faith and sanctified by his grace Christ designed to form a holy society, over which he will reign for ever.

   • 1828, John Gibson Lockhart, Life of Robert Burns, page 46:

     Sometimes, indeed, when for an hour or two my spirits are alightened, I glimmer a little into futurity; but my principal, and indeed my only pleasurable employment, is looking backwards and forwards in a moral and religious way.

   • 2010, James MacPherson, The Poems of Ossian - Volume 4, page 297:

     My joy shall be in the midst of thousands ; my soul shall alighten through the gloom of the fight !"

Anagrams

• atheling