lighter

English Online Dictionary. What means lighter‎? What does lighter mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪtɚ/, [ˈlaɪɾɚ]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪtə/
• Rhymes: -aɪtə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: light‧er

Etymology 1

From light (“to ignite”) +‎ -er. Cognate with Middle Dutch lichtere, lichter (“one who spreads light, illuminator”), Dutch lichter, luchter (“candle-holder, chandelier”). Compare also Middle English lightnere, liȝtnere (“one who enlightens or illuminates”).

Noun

lighter (plural lighters)

1. A person who lights things.

3. A device used to light things, especially a reusable handheld device for creating fire to light cigarettes.

   Synonym: (dated) briquet

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English lightere, lyghtere, equivalent to light (“to unload, lighten”) +‎ -er. Compare West Frisian lichter (“lighter ship”), Dutch lichter (“lighter ship”), Middle Low German lichter, lüchter, lüchtære (“a small ship that lightens a load, lighter ship”).

Noun

lighter (plural lighters)

1. A flat-bottomed boat for carrying heavy loads across short distances (especially for canals or for loading or unloading larger boats).

Translations

Verb

lighter (third-person singular simple present lighters, present participle lightering, simple past and past participle lightered)

1. To transfer (cargo or passengers) to or from a ship by means of a lighter or other small vessel.
   • 1900. Report of the Commission Appointed by the President to Investigate the Conduct of the War Department in the War with Spain. Vol. 7, pg. 3227.

     Troops and stores were lightered to the wharves inside the harbor by steamers Orizaba and Berkshire.

2. To transfer cargo or fuel from (a ship), lightening it to make its draft less or to make it easier to refloat.

Etymology 3

From light (“pale”) +‎ -er (“comparative”).

Adjective

lighter

1. comparative form of light: more light

Etymology 4

From light (“not heavy, weak”) +‎ -er (“comparative”).

Adjective

lighter

1. comparative form of light: more light

Anagrams

• relight

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English lighter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaiteɾ/ [ˈlai̯.t̪eɾ]
• Rhymes: -aiteɾ

Noun

lighter m (plural lighteres)

1. (Panama, Puerto Rico, Philippines) lighter

   Synonym: encendedor

Usage notes

• According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.