LIGHTNING


Meaning of LIGHTNING in English

I. ˈlīt-niŋ noun

Etymology: Middle English, from gerund of lightenen to lighten

Date: 13th century

1. : the flashing of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity ; also : the discharge itself

2. : a sudden stroke of fortune

II. adjective

Date: 1576

: having or moving with or as if with the speed and suddenness of lightning

a lightning assault

III. intransitive verb

( light·ninged ; lightning )

Date: 1903

: to discharge a flash of lightning

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.