Forms: 4 lihtne, 4–5 lyghtyn, 5 lightyn, liten, 4– lighten. [f. LIGHT a.1 + -EN5; in sense 5 perh. rather an extension of LIGHT v.1, the inf. termination -en being taken as part of the stem.]
I. 1. trans. To reduce or remove the load of (a ship, etc.); to relieve of a burden, or something regarded as a burden. Also intr. for pass.
a. 1375. Joseph Arim., 644. Heo was lihtned of hire euel in a luytel stounde.
1435. Misyn, Fire of Love, II. xi. 100. Lufe … is a lyght byrdyn, þe berar not chargeand bot lightynand.
1535. Coverdale, Jonah i. 5. The goodes that were in the shippe, they cast in to the see, to lighten it off them.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. x. 16. She of late is lightned of her wombe.
1615. W. Lawson, Country Housew. Garden (1626), 2. In Winter your yong trees and herbs would be lightned of Snow, and your Allyes cleansed.
a. 1700. Dryden, Ovid’s Met., XV. Pythag. Philos., 606. He lightens of its Load the Tree.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), II. 114. Clement, with his young pupil, came home, quite lightened of the money they had taken abroad.
1807. E. S. Barrett, Rising Sun, III. 88. We ought to return our grateful thanks to heaven, for having lightened us from so horrid a charge.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Europe, iv. III. 236. To lighten the cart … I descended and walked on ahead.
1885. Law Rep. 14 Q. Bench Div. 517. When vessels … were of too heavy a burthen to come up the canal they were lightened at Sharpness.
1891. Daily News, 3 Nov., 3/7. The steamer Amaryllis … is ashore at Savannah. She will have to lighten before she can get off.
2. To remove a burden from, relieve (the heart or mind); † to cheer, comfort (obs.). Now rare.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 2410. Whos comyng lightned his hert somdele.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., I. ii. 21. A trustie vilaine … that … Lightens my humour with his merry iests.
1666. Bunyan, Grace Ab., ¶ 258. I was greatly lightened in my mind.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xvii. IV. 61. To lighten his conscience.
b. intr. for refl. or pass. Somewhat rare.
1400. Sir Perc., 2219. His hert lightened in hy Blythe for to bee.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), Prol. 1. Thaire suete songe made my herte to lighten.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xi. 74. As I looked aloft … my heart lightened.
3. trans. To reduce the weight of; to make lighter or less heavy (in various senses of the adjs.); to alleviate, mitigate.
1483. Cath. Angl., 216/2. To Lyghtyn, alleuiare, or to make lightt.
1570. Levins, Manip., 61/27. To Lighten, leuigare.
1576. Act 18 Eliz., c. 1 § 1. Yf any person … deminishe … or lighten the proper Moneys … of this Realme.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., I. v. His fellow’s Burthen lightens not his Load.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 960. How we may light’n Each others burden in our share of woe.
1670. Marvell, Corr., cxlvii. Wks. 1872–5, II. 325. The King … resolved … to weigh up and lighten the Duke’s efficacy, by coming himself in person.
1781. C. Johnston, Hist. Juniper Jack, II. I. vii. 57. The manner of this address was far from lightening Juniper’s embarrassment.
1793. Trans. Soc. Arts, XI. 114. A stiff loam, lightened with rotten sawdust.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Vanderput & S., ii. 26. He lightens their labour.
1843. Lever, J. Hinton, xxi. (1878), 144. To lighten the road by song and story.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xvi. 110. We … paused to lighten our burdens and to refresh ourselves.
1871. R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, ii. 8. Heavier ache perhaps to lighten.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 48/2. This has the effect of lightening the appearance.
1885. Manch. Exam., 28 March, 5/5. The task of lightening the burdens of the … ratepayers.
† b. To remove the weight of; to lessen the pressure of. Obs.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. vi. 5. Peraduenture hee will lighten his hand from off you. [A literalism of translation.]
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), VI. 670/2. By lightening or sinking the graver with the hand, according to the occasion. Ibid., 671/1. The hand should be lightened in such a manner, that [etc.].
c. To make agile or nimble. rare.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, V. iv. 120. Let’s haue a dance … that we may lighten our own hearts, and our wiues heeles.
1727. Bailey, vol. II., To Lighten a Horse … is to make a Horse light in the Fore-hand, i. e. to make him freer and lighter in the Fore-hand than behind.
4. intr. To grow lighter.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, v. (1840), 85. Their luggage … lightened every day.
1862. Tyndall, Mountaineer., iv. 28. Until the rain seemed to lighten.
† II. 5. To descend, alight; to light upon. Obs.
The well-known passage in the Te Deum (quot. 1548–9) is perh. now commonly understood as containing LIGHTEN v.2
a. 1425. Cursor M., 11258 (Trin.). While þis aungel tiþing tolde Oþere liȝten [Cott. lighted] doun mony folde.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xliv. 172 (Harl. MS.). Þe holy gost shalle liten in the as a shadow.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Te Deum, O Lorde, let thy mercy lighten upon us [L. fiat, Domine, misericordia super nos].
1704. Ray, Creation, I. 150. They fly out of Italy into Africk: lightning many times on Ships in the midst of the Sea, to rest themselves when tir’d and spent with flying.
