Added 3 October 2026
light
/laɪt/ noun
In Latin: lūx, lūmen Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about light at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye (about 400–750 nanometers): visible light.
As you can see, this spacious dining-room gets a lot of light in the mornings.
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Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye or in nearby ranges (infrared or ultraviolet radiation).
black light
- Electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength.
verb
adjective
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Having light; bright; clear; not dark or obscure.
The room is light when the Sun shines through the window.
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Pale or whitish in color; highly luminous and more or less deficient in chroma.
She had light skin.
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Served with extra milk or cream.
Do you want your coffee light or black? -I like mine light.
adjective
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Having little or relatively little actual weight; not heavy; not cumbrous or unwieldy.
a light load a lighter backpack after having removed the books light weapons
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Having little weight as compared with bulk; of little density or specific gravity.
feathers and cork are light oil is lighter than water
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Of short or insufficient weight; weighing less than the legal, standard, or proper amount; clipped or diminished.
to issue light coin
Origin
From Middle English light, liht, leoht, from Old English lēoht, from Proto-West Germanic *leuht, from Proto-Germanic *leuhtą, from Proto-Indo-European *lewktom, from the root *lewk- (“to shine”). * Saterland Frisian Ljoacht, Lucht (“light”) * German Low German Licht (“light”) * Limburgish Leech, Leet, Léït (“light”) * Danish and Norwegian Bokmål lys (“light”) * Faroese and Icelandic ljós (“light”) * Norwegian Nynorsk ljos, ljus, lys (“light”) * Russian луч (luč, “beam of light”) * Ancient Greek λευκός (leukós, “white”)
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)