lighter
lighter Lexical Profile
lighter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, portable device used to generate a flame, typically for igniting cigarettes, cigars, or combustible materials.
"He fumbled in his pocket for a lighter to start the campfire."
A flat-bottomed barge or unpowered boat used to transfer cargo to and from larger ships moored in a harbor or shallow waters.
"The heavy shipping containers were unloaded onto a lighter because the harbor was too shallow for the freighter."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a noun, 'lighter' operates as a homograph with two completely unrelated meanings and etymologies: a device for creating a flame (derived from 'light' as fire) and a type of cargo barge (derived from 'light' as weight, meaning to unload).
• Rhymes for lighter
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The word has two distinct origins. The sense of a flat-bottomed barge dates to the late 15th century, from Middle Low German or Dutch 'lichter', derived from 'lichten' (to unload or make lighter in weight). The modern sense of a small fire-starting device arose in the late 19th century, formed from the verb 'light' plus the agent suffix '-er'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.