v.
Pronunciation: ' l ī -t ə n
Function: verb
Inflected Form: light · ened ; light · en · ing \ ' l ī t-ni ŋ , ' l ī -t ə n-i ŋ \
Etymology: Middle English lightenen, from light
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 : to make light or clear : ILLUMINATE
2 archaic : ENLIGHTEN
3 : to make (as a color) lighter
intransitive verb
1 a archaic : to shine brightly b : to grow lighter : BRIGHTEN
2 : to give out flashes of lightning
– light · en · er \ ' l ī t-n ə r, ' l ī -t ə n- ə r \ noun