Meanings
lighter1
plural lighters
- A person who lights (“sets fire to or ignites”) a thing.
a lighter of lamps
- An electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things; especially, a device which creates a small flame to light cigarettes, stoves, etc.
Cigarette in mouth, he clutched his pockets in search of a lighter.
1 more example
He smelt of rare soap and cigarettes—such cigarettes as he handed me from a golden box with an automatic lighter.
1913, Rudyard Kipling, “The Edge of the Evening”, in A Diversity of Creatures, London: Macmillan and Co., […], published 1917, →OCLC, page 274Synonyms: briquet
- archaicA piece of flammable material which is set on fire and used to light something else; especially, a piece of folded or twisted paper used in this way to light a pipe.
Yet I'm sorry, too, / To lose this famous letter, which Sir Blaise / Has twisted to a lighter absently / To fire some holy taper with: […]
1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Eighth Book”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC, page 330
lighter2
plural lighters
- nauticalA boat, usually a flat-bottomed barge, for carrying loads across short distances, especially one for loading and unloading a larger ship, and to transport cargo between such a ship and a wharf.
[T]he River vvas in a manner vvithout Boats, and all or moſt part of the VVatermen, Lightermen, Boat-builders, and Lighter-builders in like manner idle, and laid by.
1722 March, H[enry] F[oe] [pseudonym; Daniel Defoe], A Journal of the Plague Year: […], London: […] E[lizabeth] Nutt […]; J. Roberts […]; A. Dodd […]; and J. Graves […], →OCLC, page 1123 more examples
Theſe flatts make it unnavigable for ſhippes, yet at high vvater great Boates, Loiters, and Pinnaces of 20, and 30 tun, may ſaile up to the plantation, but they neede have a skilfull Pilote, becauſe of many dangerous rockes and foaming breakers, that lye at the mouth of that Bay.
1634, William Wood, “Of The Severall Plantations in Particular”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; […], London: […] Tho[mas] Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of the Indians, […]), page 66The depth and the ſupply of vvater for a navigable canal muſt be proportioned to the number and tunnage of the lighters vvhich are likely to carry goods upon it; the extent of a harbour to the number of the ſhipping vvhich are likely to take ſhelter in it.
1776 March 9, Adam Smith, “Of the Expences of the Sovereign or Commonwealth”, in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. […], volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, book V (Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth), part III (Of the Expence of Publick Works and Publick Institutions, article I (Of the Publick Works and Institutions for Facilitating the Commerce of the Society), pages 330–331It is, of course, possible to work only to or from lighters in this way, and such working is not very general in this country, although a certain amount of such overside work is carried on in enclosed docks.
1945 January–February, T. F. Cameron, “Dock Working”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9
present singular third person lighters · participle present lightering · participle past lightered · past lightered
- transitivenauticalTo load or unload, or transfer, (cargo; or occasionally passengers) using a lighter (etymology 2, noun sense 1) or other marine vessel.
Troops and stores were lightered to the wharves inside the harbor by steamers Orizaba and Berkshire.
1898 December 20 (date delivered), William R[ufus] Shafter, “Testimony of Maj. Gen. William R. Shafter”, in Report of the Commission Appointed by the President to Investigate the Conduct of the War Department in the War with Spain. […] (United States Senate, 56th Congress, 1st session; document no. 221), volume 7 (Testimony), Washington, D.C.: [United States] Government Printing Office, published 1900, →OCLC, page 32271 more example
Beyond the station an extension descends at 1 in 30, the steepest gradient on the line, to Government Wharf, where cargo is lightered to and from ships at anchor in the harbour.
1960 April, H[enry] P[atrick] White, “The Railways of Sierra Leone”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 233 - transitivenauticalTo transfer cargo or fuel from (a ship) to lighten it, in order to make it easier to refloat or to reduce its draft.
We were trying to think up ways to clean up the oil. […] We sent for the supersuckers, and in the meantime they were lightering the ship [to remove the oil] and all the Exxon people were kind of white. You could see they were living right on the edge.
1991, John Keeble, quoting David Grimes, “Ghosts”, in Out of the Channel: The Ezxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound, New York, N.Y.: HarperCollinsPublishers, →ISBN, page 254 - intransitivenauticalTo load or unload, or transfer, cargo (or occasionally passengers) using a lighter or other marine vessel.
Troops lightered out to her [the USS Yale] when she was ordered to Montauk Point Aug. 19.
1898 December 20 (date delivered), William R[ufus] Shafter, “Testimony of Maj. Gen. William R. Shafter”, in Report of the Commission Appointed by the President to Investigate the Conduct of the War Department in the War with Spain. […] (United States Senate, 56th Congress, 1st session; document no. 221), volume 7 (Testimony), Washington, D.C.: [United States] Government Printing Office, published 1900, →OCLC, page 3227
lighter3
lighter4
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things; especially, a device which creates a small flame to light cigarettes, stoves, etc.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires
nouna flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
lighter · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
- Proto-Indo-European*lewktom
- Proto-Germanic*leuhtą
- Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
- Proto-Indo-European*lewk-to-s
- Proto-Germanic*leuhtaz
- Proto-Germanic*liuhtijaną
- Proto-West Germanic*liuhtijan
- Old Englishlīehtan
- Middle Englishlighten
- Englishlight
- Englishlighter
From light (“to set fire to (something), ignite”, verb) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns). Light is derived from Middle English lighten, lihten (“to emit light, shine; of fire: to blaze, burn; to set fire to; etc.”), from Old English līehtan (West Saxon), līhtan (“to give light, illuminate, shine”) (Anglian, Late West Saxon), from Proto-West Germanic *liuhtijan (“to illuminate, shine”), from Proto-Germanic *liuhtijaną (“to give light, shine”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to shine; to see”). cognates * Middle English lightnere, liȝtnere (“one who enlightens or illuminates”) * Middle Dutch lichtere, lichter (“one who spreads light, illuminator”) (modern Dutch lichter, luchter (“candle-holder, chandelier”))
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →lighter · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁lengʷʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*linhtaz
- Proto-Germanic*linhtijaną
- Proto-West Germanic*lį̄htijan
- Old Englishlīehtan
- Middle Englishlighten
- Middle Englishlightere
- Englishlighter
The noun is derived from Late Middle English lighter, lightere, lyghtere (“type of barge or tender for transporting cargo”), from lighten (“to reduce the weight of, lighten; to alight, dismount; to descend; etc.”) + -er, -ere (suffix forming agent nouns). Lighten is from Old English līehtan (West Saxon), līhtan (“to reduce the weight of, lighten; to alight, dismount; to descend”) (Anglian, Late West Saxon), from Proto-West Germanic *lį̄htijan (“to reduce the weight of, lighten”), from Proto-Germanic *linhtijaną (“to reduce the weight of”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- (“lightweight; to move lightly or effortlessly”). By surface analysis, light (“to lighten; to unload”, verb) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns). The verb is derived from the noun. cognates * Dutch lichter (“lighter ship”) * Middle Low German lichter, lüchter, lüchtære (“small ship that lightens a load, lighter ship”) * West Frisian lichter (“lighter ship”)
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →lighter · adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
- Proto-Indo-European*lewk-to-s
- Proto-Germanic*leuhtaz
- Proto-West Germanic*leuht
- Old Englishlēoht
- Middle Englishlight
- Englishlight
- Englishlighter
From light (“pale”, adjective) + -er (suffix forming comparatives).
Full word history & related roots →lighter · adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁lengʷʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*linhtaz
- Proto-West Germanic*lį̄ht
- Old Englishlēoht
- Middle Englishlight
- Englishlight
- Englishlighter
From light (“not heavy, weak”, adjective) + -er (suffix forming comparatives).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans aak, aanbrandsteker
- aakelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- aanbrandstekerelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- aanstekerelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Arabic قَدَّاحَة, وَلَّاعَة
- قَدَّاحَة (qaddāḥa)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- وَلَّاعَة (wallāʕa)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Basque pizgailu, metxero
- pizgailuelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- metxeroelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Bengali লাইটার
- লাইটার (laiṭar)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Bulgarian запа́лка
- запа́лка (zapálka)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Catalan encenedor
- encenedorelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Chinese Cantonese 打火機 /打火机, 火機 /火机
- 打火機 /打火机 (daa² fo² gei¹)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- 火機 /火机 (fo² gei¹)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Chinese Mandarin 打火機 /打火机
- 打火機 /打火机 (dǎhuǒjī)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Czech zapalovač
- zapalovačelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Danish lighter, cigarettænder
- lighterelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- cigarettænderelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- fyrtøjelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- lægterboat for carrying loads across short distances
- ligterboat for carrying loads across short distances
Dutch aansteker, lichter
- aanstekerelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- lichterboat for carrying loads across short distances
Esperanto fajrilo
- fajriloelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Estonian tulemasin, välgumihkel
- tulemasinelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- välgumihkelelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Finnish sytyttäjä, sytytin
- sytyttäjäperson who lights a thing
- sytytinelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- savukkeensytytinelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- tupakansytytinelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- sytkärielectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- sytykepiece of flammable material which is set on fire and used to light something else
- lehteriboat for carrying loads across short distances
- siirtää lehteriin(transitive) to transfer cargo or fuel from (a ship) to lighten it
- lastata lehteriin(transitive) to load or unload, or transfer (cargo, etc.) using a lighter or other marine vessel; (intransitive) to load or unload, or transfer cargo, etc., using a lighter or other marine vessel
- purkaa lehteristä(transitive) to load or unload, or transfer (cargo, etc.) using a lighter or other marine vessel; (intransitive) to load or unload, or transfer cargo, etc., using a lighter or other marine vessel
French briquet
- briquetelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
German (handheld) Feuerzeug, Zigarettenanzünder
- (handheld) Feuerzeugelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- Zigarettenanzünderelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- Leichterboat for carrying loads across short distances
Greek αναπτήρας, φορτηγίδα
- αναπτήρας (anaptíras)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- φορτηγίδα (fortigída)boat for carrying loads across short distances
Hebrew מַצִּית, פּוֹרֶקֶת
- מַצִּית (matsít)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- פּוֹרֶקֶת (poréket)boat for carrying loads across short distances
Hindi लाइटर
- लाइटर (lāiṭar)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Hungarian öngyújtó
- öngyújtóelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Icelandic kveikjari, prammi
- kveikjarielectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- prammiboat for carrying loads across short distances
Indonesian korek api gas, pemantik
- korek api gaselectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- pemantikelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Irish lastóir, lastóir toitíní
- lastóirelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- lastóir toitíníelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Italian accendino
- accendinoelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Japanese ライター
- ライター (raitā)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Korean 라이터
- 라이터 (raiteo)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Latin ignitabulum
- ignitabulumelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Latvian šķiltavas, dedzīklis
- šķiltavaselectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- dedzīkliselectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Lithuanian žiebtuvėlis
- žiebtuvėliselectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Malay pemetik api
- pemetik apielectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Māori pūahi
- pūahielectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Norwegian Bokmål lighter, sigarettenner
- lighterelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- sigarettennerelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- fyrtøyelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- lekterboat for carrying loads across short distances
Polish zapalniczka, lichtuga
- zapalniczkaelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- lichtugaboat for carrying loads across short distances
Portuguese acendedor, isqueiro
- acendedorelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- isqueiroelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Romanian brichetă
- brichetăelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Russian зажига́лка, ли́хтер
- зажига́лка (zažigálka)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- ли́хтер (líxter)boat for carrying loads across short distances
- шала́нда (šalánda)boat for carrying loads across short distances
Slovak zapaľovač
- zapaľovačelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Spanish encendedor, briquet
- encendedorelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- briquetelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- fosforeraelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- lighterelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- mecheroelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- yesqueroelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Swahili vibiriti vya chuma
- vibiriti vya chumaelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Swedish tändare, liktare
- tändareelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- liktareboat for carrying loads across short distances
Tagalog pansindi
- pansindielectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Thai ไฟแช็ก
- ไฟแช็ก (fai-chɛ́k)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Turkish çakmak
- çakmakelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Ukrainian запальни́чка
- запальни́чка (zapalʹnýčka)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Urdu لائِٹَر
- لائِٹَر (lāiṭar)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Vietnamese bật lửa, hộp quẹt
- bật lửaelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
- hộp quẹtelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Welsh taniwr
- taniwrelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Yiddish אָנצינדער
- אָנצינדער (ontsinder)electrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Zulu into yokukhanyisa
- into yokukhanyisaelectrical or mechanical device, usually handheld and reusable, used to light things
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with lighter
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
lighter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lighter
“lighter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lighter. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lighter,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lighter.
Source: lighter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.