lighter
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lighter¹
- /ˈlaɪtə/ UK
- /ˈlɑj-/ UK, British, Southern
- /ˈlaɪtəɹ/ US
- [-ɾəɹ] US
- /ˈlɑetə/ Australia, New Zealand
- /ˈlʌɪtəɾ/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪtə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From light (“to set fire to (something), ignite”, verb) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns). Light is derived from Middle English lighten, lihten (“to emit light, shine; of fire: to blaze, burn; to set fire to; etc.”), from Old English līehtan (West Saxon), līhtan (“to give light, illuminate, shine”) (Anglian, Late West Saxon), from Proto-West Germanic *liuhtijan (“to illuminate, shine”), from Proto-Germanic *liuhtijaną (“to give light, shine”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to shine; to see”).
cognates
* Middle English lightnere, liȝtnere (“one who enlightens or illuminates”)
* Middle Dutch lichtere, lichter (“one who spreads light, illuminator”) (modern Dutch lichter, luchter (“candle-holder, chandelier”))
noun lighters
- A person who lights (“sets fire to or ignites”) a thing. a lighter of lamps
-
An electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things; especially, a device which creates a small flame to light cigarettes, stoves, etc.
Cigarette in mouth, he clutched his pockets in search of a lighter.
Similar: briquet
- A piece of flammable material which is set on fire and used to light something else; especially, a piece of folded or twisted paper used in this way to light a pipe. Yet I'm sorry, too, / To lose this famous letter, which Sir Blaise / Has twisted to a lighter absently / To fire some holy taper with: […]
lighter²
- /ˈlaɪtə/ UK
- /ˈlɑj-/ UK, British, Southern
- /ˈlaɪtəɹ/ US
- [-ɾəɹ] US
- /ˈlɑetə/ Australia, New Zealand
- /ˈlʌɪtəɾ/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪtə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Late Middle English lighter, lightere, lyghtere (“type of barge or tender for transporting cargo”), from lighten (“to reduce the weight of, lighten; to alight, dismount; to descend; etc.”) + -er, -ere (suffix forming agent nouns). Lighten is from Old English līehtan (West Saxon), līhtan (“to reduce the weight of, lighten; to alight, dismount; to descend”) (Anglian, Late West Saxon), from Proto-West Germanic *lį̄htijan (“to reduce the weight of, lighten”), from Proto-Germanic *linhtijaną (“to reduce the weight of”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- (“lightweight; to move lightly or effortlessly”). By surface analysis, light (“to lighten; to unload”, verb) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns).
The verb is derived from the noun.
cognates
* Dutch lichter (“lighter ship”)
* Middle Low German lichter, lüchter, lüchtære (“small ship that lightens a load, lighter ship”)
* West Frisian lichter (“lighter ship”)
noun lighters
- A boat, usually a flat-bottomed barge, for carrying loads across short distances, especially one for loading and unloading a larger ship, and to transport cargo between such a ship and a wharf. Theſe flatts make it unnavigable for ſhippes, yet at high vvater great Boates, Loiters, and Pinnaces of 20, and 30 tun, may ſaile up to the plantation, but they neede have a skilfull Pilote, becauſe of many dangerous rockes and foaming breakers, that lye at the mouth of that Bay.
verb lighters · lightering · lightered
- To load or unload, or transfer, (cargo; or occasionally passengers) using a lighter (etymology 2, noun sense 1) or other marine vessel. Troops and stores were lightered to the wharves inside the harbor by steamers Orizaba and Berkshire.
- To transfer cargo or fuel from (a ship) to lighten it, in order to make it easier to refloat or to reduce its draft. We were trying to think up ways to clean up the oil. […] We sent for the supersuckers, and in the meantime they were lightering the ship [to remove the oil] and all the Exxon people were kind of white. You could see they were living right on the edge.
- To load or unload, or transfer, cargo (or occasionally passengers) using a lighter or other marine vessel. Troops lightered out to her [the USS Yale] when she was ordered to Montauk Point Aug. 19.
lighter³
- /ˈlaɪtə/ UK
- /ˈlɑj-/ UK, British, Southern
- /ˈlaɪtəɹ/ US
- [-ɾəɹ] US
- /ˈlɑetə/ Australia, New Zealand
- /ˈlʌɪtəɾ/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪtə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From light (“pale”, adjective) + -er (suffix forming comparatives).
adjective
- comparative form of light: more light I prefer a lighter shade of pink.
lighter⁴
- /ˈlaɪtə/ UK
- /ˈlɑj-/ UK, British, Southern
- /ˈlaɪtəɹ/ US
- [-ɾəɹ] US
- /ˈlɑetə/ Australia, New Zealand
- /ˈlʌɪtəɾ/ Scotland
Rhymes with -aɪtə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From light (“not heavy, weak”, adjective) + -er (suffix forming comparatives).
adjective
- comparative form of light: more light What happened? You look ten pounds lighter!
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: ignitor, igniter, flatboat, barge, hoy, torch, lamp, fire, cigarette, leaner, switchover, slimmer, thin, clearer, simpler, lightweight
Translations
Every language
noun electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
| Español | encendedor, briquet, fosforera, lighter, mechero, yesquero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 라이터 raiteo |
| 日本語 | ライター raitā |
| 中文 | 打火機 /打火机 dǎhuǒjī |
| हिन्दी | लाइटर lāiṭar |
| Kiswahili | vibiriti vya chuma |
| Português | acendedor, isqueiro |
| Français | briquet |
| Deutsch | (handheld) Feuerzeug, Zigarettenanzünder |
| Italiano | accendino |
| Ελληνικά | αναπτήρας anaptíras |
| Română | brichetă |
| Русский | зажига́лка zažigálka |
| Tiếng Việt | bật lửa, hộp quẹt |
| العربية | قَدَّاحَة qaddāḥa, وَلَّاعَة wallāʕa |
| עברית | מַצִּית matsít |
Talk about this word "lighter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lighter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. lighter. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lighter "lighter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lighter.Cite this
@misc{lighter_2026,
title = {lighter},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lighter},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
