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a·light 1 (ə-līt)
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intr.v. a·light·ed or a·lit (ə-lĭt), a·light·ing, a·lights
1. To come down and settle, as after flight: "A swarm of black birds flew across the road and alighted in a pecan tree" (Ernest J. Gaines).
2. To get down, as from a vehicle; dismount: The queen alighted from the carriage.
3. To come by chance: alight on a happy solution.

[Middle English alighten, from Old English ālīhtan : ā-, intensive pref. + līhtan, to relieve of a burden (from līht, light; see LIGHT2).]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
a·light 2 (ə-līt)
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adj.
1. Burning; lighted: The discarded match was still alight.
2. Illuminated: The sky was alight with millions of stars.

[Middle English, past participle of alighten, to set on fire, from Old English ālīhtan, to illuminate : ā-, intensive pref. + līhtan, to shine (from lēoht, a light; see LIGHT1).]

a·light adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.