Hypertext Webster Gateway: "lightening"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Lighten \Light"en\ (l[imac]t"'n), v. i. [imp. & p. p.
{Lightened} (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Lightening}.] [OE.
lightenen. See {Light} to kindle, illuminate.]
1. To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or
like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of
lightning; to flash.
This dreadful night, That thunders, lightens, opens
graves, and roars As doth the lion. --Shak.
2. To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to
brighten; to clear, as the sky.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
lightening
n 1: descent of the uterus into the pelvic cavity that occurs
late in pregnancy; the fetus is said to have dropped
2: changing to a lighter color [syn: {whitening}]
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