lightening

lightening

becoming lighter or brighter: The sky began lightening as the storm passed.

Not to be confused with:

lightning – a brilliant electric discharge in the sky: The dark sky was pierced by lightning.

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

light·en ¹

 (līt′n)

v. light·ened, light·en·ing, light·ens

v.tr.

1.

a. To make light or lighter; illuminate or brighten.

b. To make (a color) lighter.

2. Archaic To enlighten.

v.intr.

1. To become lighter; brighten.

2. To be luminous; shine.

3. To give off flashes of lightning.

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light·en ²

 (līt′n)

v. light·ened, light·en·ing, light·ens

v.tr.

1. To make less heavy: I lightened my backpack by removing a large textbook.

2. To lessen the severity or oppressiveness of: lighten the workload. See Synonyms at relieve.

3. To make less worried or more cheerful: lighten the mood.

v.intr.

1. To become less in weight.

2. To become less oppressive, troublesome, or severe.

3. To become cheerful: The mood lightened when the party started.

Phrasal Verb:

lighten up Informal

To take matters less seriously: Everything will work out fine, so stop worrying and lighten up.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

lightening

(ˈlaɪtənɪŋ)

n

(Gynaecology & Obstetrics) obstetrics the sensation, experienced by many women late in pregnancy when the head of the fetus enters the pelvis, of a reduction in pressure on the diaphragm, making it easier to breathe

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

lightening

- A drop in the level of the womb during the last weeks of pregnancy, as the head of the fetus engages in the pelvis.

See also related terms for womb.

Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

lightening

The operation (normally carried out at anchor) of transferring crude oil cargo from a large tanker to a smaller tanker, so reducing the draft of the larger tanker to enable it to enter port.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	lightening - descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity that occurs late in pregnancy; the fetus is said to have dropped descent - a movement downward
	2.	lightening - changing to a lighter color whitening change of color - an act that changes the light that something reflects bleach - the act of whitening something by bleaching it (exposing it to sunlight or using a chemical bleaching agent)

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

alleggerimento

light·en·ing

n. [childbirth] aligeramiento, descenso del útero en la cavidad pélvica, gen. en la etapa final del embarazo.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

lightening

n (obst) encajamiento, descenso del feto al final del embarazo

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.