verb
alighten
Alighten (verb) means to get down from something, such as a horse or a vehicle.
verb
1
To get down from something, such as a horse or a vehicle.
"In case the train halts on account of such alert, the patrolling parties should alighten from the running train and be on the look out for the offenders."
— The Indian Police Journal - Volume 37 (1990)
2
To come down through the air and settle somewhere.
"Both of the two jays that had just moved flew out of the tree and alightened in the boughs of a nearby cedar."
— Diana Hignutt, Moonsword (2002)
"Even under the best ecological conditions, only a fraction of the flowers on which a bee alightens provide nectar and/or pollen."
— Raymond P. Kesner, David S. Olton (2014)
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Etymology
Came into English from Middle English alighten, which arose from a merger of two Old English words: ālīhtan (“to alight, dismount”), formed from the prefix ā- (compare Gothic ??- (us-), German er-, originally meaning "out") and līhtan (“to alight”); and ġelīhtan (“to alight, approach, come, come down, dismount”). It can also be analysed as alight + -en.
Rhymes for alighten
See all rhymes for alighten →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of alighten?
"alighten" (verb) means to get down from something, such as a horse or a vehicle.
What are the different meanings of alighten?
"alighten" has 2 main meanings: 1. To get down from something, such as a horse or a vehicle; 2. To come down through the air and settle somewhere.
