Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The act or fact of becoming or making light or less heavy.
- noun A becoming light; the break of day. See
lightning , 1. - noun See
lightning , 2. - noun A brightening up, as of the mind or spirit.
- noun In metallurgy, the sudden brightening of the color of silver during cupellation when the metal reaches the point of greatest purity.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The process of changing to a lighter color.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb Present participle of
lighten . - noun medicine The sensation caused by the
descent of theuterus into the pelvic cavity before the onset oflabour - noun nautical The removal of
cargo (especially crude oil) from a vessel in order to reduce itsdraft
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun changing to a lighter color
- noun descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity that occurs late in pregnancy; the fetus is said to have dropped
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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That's why Johnson and Johnson makes billions selling dangerous and toxic skin lightening cream to beautiful brownskinned women in Africa and India - and that's why they and the other drug companies make billions selling useless (and often dangerous) weight loss products to healthy American women.
I want you to stop stalking "overweight" women. - Feministing 2009
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Our various agencies have apparently developed excellent communication and raport with each other so that solving these incidents is happening in lightening time!
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Begin lightening raids on predatory businesses and apprehending all illegal immigrants in the workplace.
Wonk Room » CNN Airs Anti-Immigrant Front Group’s ‘Pro-Labor’ Incendiary Ad 2009
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Nevertheless, plenty of light flooded the space from two ornate chandeliers and all the lightening from the camera crews.
A kid reporter learns the ropes covering Obama Valerie Strauss 2010
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(The Philipines, as one example, sells many skin lightening soaps.)
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For this time around, I had no interest in lightening the recipe (I love bacon and it really makes this soup), but I did want to get away from the canned beans.
Archive 2008-09-01 Laura 2008
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Cholera strikes so fast it is sometimes called the lightening disease.
As Cholera Spreads in Haiti, Authorities Expect Disease to Remain for Years 2010
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For this time around, I had no interest in lightening the recipe (I love bacon and it really makes this soup), but I did want to get away from the canned beans.
Southwestern Black Bean Soup: It Isn't Super Healthy, But It Sure Is Tasty! Laura 2008
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She is also technically superb and can move like lightening from the most powerful empathy to conveying emotions: her humour is astringent but never cynical: she is a lovely person and one of my dearest friends.
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She is also technically superb and can move like lightening from the most powerful empathy to conveying emotions: her humour is astringent but never cynical: she is a lovely person and one of my dearest friends.
slumry commented on the word lightening
not to be confushed with lightning.
June 26, 2007