Word Meanings - LIGHTNING - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. A discharge of atmospheric electricity, accompanied by a vivid flash of light, commonly from one cloud to another, sometimes from a cloud to the earth. The sound produced by the electricity in passing rapidly through the atmosphere constitutes

Additional info about word: LIGHTNING

1. A discharge of atmospheric electricity, accompanied by a vivid flash of light, commonly from one cloud to another, sometimes from a cloud to the earth. The sound produced by the electricity in passing rapidly through the atmosphere constitutes thunder. 2. The act of making bright, or the state of being made bright; enlightenment; brightening, as of the mental powers. Ball lightning, a rare form of lightning sometimes seen as a globe of fire moving from the clouds to the earth. -- Chain lightning, lightning in angular, zigzag, or forked flashes. -- Heat lightning, more or less vivid and extensive flashes of electric light, without thunder, seen near the horizon, esp. at the close of a hot day. -- Lightning arrester , a device, at the place where a wire enters a building, for preventing injury by lightning to an operator or instrument. It consists of a short circuit to the ground interrupted by a thin nonconductor over which lightning jumps. Called also lightning discharger. -- Lightning bug , a luminous beetle. See Firefly. -- Lightning conductor, a lightning rod. -- Lightning glance, a quick, penetrating glance of a brilliant eye. -- Lightning rod, a metallic rod set up on a building, or on the mast of a vessel, and connected with the earth or water below, for the purpose of protecting the building or vessel from lightning. -- Sheet lightning, a diffused glow of electric light flashing out from the clouds, and illumining their outlines. The appearance is sometimes due to the reflection of light from distant flashes of lightning by the nearer clouds.

Related words: (words related to LIGHTNING)

• PASS
  passer, LL. passare, fr. L. passus step, or from pandere, passum, to 1. To go; to move; to proceed; to be moved or transferred from one point to another; to make a transit; -- usually with a following adverb or adverbal phrase defining the kind
• LIGHT
  licht, OHG. lioht, Goth. liuhap, Icel. lj, L. lux light, lucere to 1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous. Note: Light was regarded formerly
• PRODUCIBILITY
  The quality or state of being producible. Barrow.
• EARTHLY-MINDED
  Having a mind devoted to earthly things; worldly-minded; -- opposed to spiritual-minded. -- Earth"ly-mind`ed*ness, n.
• EARTH FLAX
  A variety of asbestus. See Amianthus.
• CLOUD
  arising from the frequent resemblance of clouds to rocks or hillocks 1. A collection of visible vapor, or watery particles, susponded in the upper atmosphere. I do set my bow in the cloud. Gen. ix. 13. Note: A classification of clouds according
• EARTHDIN
  An earthquake.
• ANOTHER-GUESS
  Of another sort. It used to go in another-guess manner. Arbuthnot.
• PASSOVER
  A feast of the Jews, instituted to commemorate the sparing of the Hebrews in Egypt, when God, smiting the firstborn of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Israelites which were marked with the blood of a lamb. The sacrifice offered at
• PASSUS
  A division or part; a canto; as, the passus of Piers Plowman. See 2d Fit.
• CLOUDINESS
  The state of being cloudy.
• ATMOSPHERICALLY
  In relation to the atmosphere.
• LIGHTSOME
  1. Having light; lighted; not dark or gloomy; bright. White walls make rooms more lightsome than black. Bacon. 2. Gay; airy; cheering; exhilarating. That lightsome affection of joy. Hooker. -- Light"some*ly, adv. -- Light"some*ness, n. Happiness
• SOUNDER
  One who, or that which; sounds; specifically, an instrument used in telegraphy in place of a register, the communications being read by sound.
• PRODUCEMENT
  Production.
• SOMETIMES
  1. Formerly; sometime. That fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march. Shak. 2. At times; at intervals; now and then;occasionally. It is good that we sometimes be contradicted. Jer. Taylor. Sometimes . . .
• LIGHTNESS
  The state, condition, or quality, of being light or not heavy; buoyancy; levity; fickleness; delicacy; grace. Syn. -- Levity; volatility; instability; inconstancy; unsteadiness; giddiness; flightiness; airiness; gayety; liveliness; agility;
• PASSIBILITY
  The quality or state of being passible; aptness to feel or suffer; sensibility. Hakewill.
• LIGHT-ARMED
  Armed with light weapons or accouterments.
• PASSIONAL
  Of or pertaining to passion or the passions; exciting, influenced by, or ministering to, the passions. -- n.
• SLIGHTNESS
  The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.
• COMPASSIONATELY
  In a compassionate manner; mercifully. Clarendon.
• DELIGHTING
  Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly, adv. Jer. Taylor.
• HIGH-SOUNDING
  Pompous; noisy; ostentatious; as, high-sounding words or titles.
• RESOUND
  resonare; pref. re- re- + sonare to sound, sonus sound. See Sound to 1. To sound loudly; as, his voice resounded far. 2. To be filled with sound; to ring; as, the woods resound with song. 3. To be echoed; to be sent back, as sound. "Common fame
• DRUMMOND LIGHT
  A very intense light, produced by turning two streams of gas, one oxygen and the other hydrogen, or coal gas, in a state of ignition, upon a ball of lime; or a stream of oxygen gas through a flame of alcohol upon a ball or disk of lime; -- called
• SURPASS
  To go beyond in anything good or bad; to exceed; to excel. This would surpass Common revenge and interrupt his joy. Milton. Syn. -- To exceed; excel; outdo; outstrip.
• DELIGHTLESS
  Void of delight. Thomson.
• UNEARTHLY
  Not terrestrial; supernatural; preternatural; hence, weird; appalling; terrific; as, an unearthly sight or sound. -- Un*earth"li*ness, n.
• PYROELECTRICITY
  Electricity developed by means of heat; the science which treats of electricity thus developed.