Etymology: From Middle English liȝt, lyghte, from Old English lēht, lēoht, līht, from Proto-West Germanic *lį̄ht, from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz or *līhtaz (“light (in weight)”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- (“lightweight”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch licht (“light (not heavy)”), German leicht (“light (not heavy)”), Luxembourgish liicht (“lightweight”), Vilamovian łajcht (“easy”), Yiddish לײַכט (laykht, “light (of low weight)”), Danish let (“light (not heavy)”), Faroese lættur (“light (of weight); easy (to do)”), Icelandic léttur (“light (not weighing much); easy”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk lett (“light (not heavy); easy”), Swedish lätt (“light; of low weight”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (leihts, “light (in weight)”); also Irish léim (“jump, leap; obstacle to be jumped; chasm, promontory”), Scottish Gaelic leum, lèim (“bound, frisk, leap; jump”), Welsh llai (“smaller; fewer, less”), Latin levis (“light (not heavy)”), Greek ελαφρός (elafrós, “lightweight; slight, thin, weak”), Albanian lehtë (“lightweight; easy”), Lithuanian lengvas (“light (not heavy); easy”), Belarusian лёгкі (ljóhki, “light (not heavy); easy”), Bulgarian and Macedonian лек (lek, “light (not heavy)”), Czech lehký (“light (of low weight); easy”), Polish lekki, lętki (“light (having little physical weight); easy (not demanding much effort; not difficult)”), Russian лёгкий (ljóxkij, “lightweight; easy”), Serbo-Croatian ла̏к, ла̏ган, lȁk, lȁgan (“easy; light (not heavy)”), Slovak ľahký (“light (of low weight); easy”), Slovene lahek (“light (of low weight); easy”), Ukrainian легки́й (lehkýj, “lightweight”), Armenian լանջ (lanǰ), լանջք (lanǰkʻ, “breast; mountain slope”), Persian لاغر (lâġar, “lithe; skinny; slender; thin”), Tocharian B lankᵤtse (“light (not heavy)”), Sanskrit लघु (laghu), रघु (raghu, “easy, light, not heavy or difficult”).

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”
“These weights did not exert their natural gravity […] insomuch that I could not guess which was light or heavy whilst I held them in my hand.”
Having little weight as compared with bulk; of little density or specific gravity.
“feathers and cork are light ; oil is lighter than water”
Of short or insufficient weight; weighing less than the legal, standard, or proper amount; clipped or diminished.
“to issue light coin”
Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.
Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.
“a light aircraft ; a light tank”
Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.
“light infantry; a troop of light horse”
Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.
“if a ship is light or partially loaded ; the light draft of a vessel, or its light displacement”
Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.
“the light locomotives ; a locomotive may be moved light”
“On that August Thursday afternoon, there was little freight traffic; a large "K3" Mogul went down with a short, fast goods, and a W.D. 2-8-0 proceeded northward light.”
Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.
Not heavy or soggy; spongy; well raised.
“a light bread ; sponge cake is a light cake”
Low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc.
“This light beer still gets you drunk if you have enough of it.”
Slight, not forceful or intense; small in amount or intensity.
“a light drizzle//a light rain was falling//a light snow set in”
Gentle; having little force or momentum.
“This artist clearly had a light, flowing touch.”
Easy to endure or perform.
“light duties around the house”
“Light sufferings give us leisure to complain.”
Unimportant, trivial, having little value or significance.
“I made some light comment, and we moved on.”
“He had drunk more than was fit for him, and he was singing some light song, when he saw approaching, as he said, the pale horse mentioned in the Revelation, with Death seated as the rider.”
Unchaste, wanton.
“Long after lay he musing at her mood, / Much grieu'd to thinke that gentle Dame so light, / For whose defence he was to shed his blood.”
“So do not you; for you are a light girl.”
Not encumbered; unembarrassed; clear of impediments; hence, active; nimble; swift.
“Unmarried men are best friends, best masters […] but not always best subjects, for they are light to run away.”
Fast; nimble.
Easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile.
“a light, vain person; a light mind”
“There is no greater argument of a light and inconsiderate person than profanely to scoff at religion.”
Indulging in, or inclined to, levity; lacking dignity or solemnity; frivolous; airy.
“Ogden Nash was a writer of light verse.”
“Seneca can not be too heavy, nor Plautus too light.”
Not quite sound or normal; somewhat impaired or deranged; dizzy; giddy.
“Are his wits safe? Is he not light of brain?”
Easily interrupted by stimulation.
“light sleep; light anesthesia”
Cheerful.
“I wish you a good day, and you'll find a way To make your spirits light & gay”

adv

Carrying little.
“I prefer to travel light.”

name

Etymology: English surname, from both senses of light.

A surname.
A place name:
A place name:
A place name:
A place name:
The 24th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.

noun

A stone that is not thrown hard enough.
See lights (“lungs”).
A low-alcohol lager.
“We crossed to the pub on the corner of Carlisle Street and I ordered two schooners of old for him and one of light for me.”
A member of the light cavalry.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English lighten, from Old English līhtan (“to relieve”), from Proto-West Germanic *lį̄htijan, from Proto-Germanic *linhtijaną, from *linhtaz (“light”).

To find by chance.
“I lit upon a rare book in a second-hand bookseller's.”
To stop upon (of eyes or a glance); to notice.
“"Sacredam!" he cried, when his eyes lit upon Buck. "Dat one dam bully dog! Eh? How moch?"”
To alight; to land or come down.
“She fell out of the window but luckily lit on her feet.”
“[W]e knew not what Courſe to take, but the Creatures [wolves] reſolv'd us ſoon, for they gather'd about us preſently, in Hopes of Prey, […] I drew my little Troop in among thoſe Trees, and placing our ſelves in a Line, behind one long Tree, I advis'd them all to light, and keeping that Tree before us, for a Breaſt-Work, to ſtand in a Triangle, or three Fronts, encloſing our Horſes in the Center.”