alight

verb

1. (also, figuratively, obsolete, transitive)To make less heavy; to lighten; to alleviate, to relieve.
2. (intransitive)Often followed by from or off: to get off an animal which one has been riding; to dismount; to descend or exit from a vehicle; hence, to complete one's journey; to stop.

   “He alighted from his horse.”

   “Passengers are alighting from the carriage.”

   “Madam, there is a-lighted at your gate / A yong Venetian, one that comes before / To ſignifie th'approaching of his Lord, / From whom he bringeth ſenſible regreets; […]”

   “He that neuer alights off a rich Farmer or country Gentleman, till he haue drawne money from him, is called The Snaffle.”

   “The Horſemen all alighted, and the footmen taking Don Quixote and Sancho forcibly in their Armes, they ſet them in the Court, […]”

3. (also, figuratively, intransitive)Often followed by at, on, or upon: of something aloft: to descend and settle; to land, to lodge, to rest.

   “A flying bird alights upon a tree.”

   “Snow alights on a roof.”

   “His fearefull freends vveare out the vvofull night, / Ne dare to vveepe, nor ſeeme to vnderſtand / The heauie hap, vvhich on them is alight, / Affraid, leaſt to themſelues the like miſhappen might.”

   “Then from his loftie ſtand on that high Tree / Down he alights among the ſportful Herd / Of thoſe fourfooted kindes, himſelf now one, […]”

   “The wounded Bird, e'er yet ſhe breath'd her laſt, / With flagging Wings alighted on the Maſt, / A Moment hung, and ſpread her Pinions there, / Then ſudden dropt, and left her Life in Air.”

4. (archaic, intransitive)To come down or go down; to descend.
5. (archaic, intransitive)Often followed by on or upon: of a blow, something thrown, etc.: to land heavily.

   “But ſtorms of Stones, from the proud Temple's height, / Pour down, and on our batter'd Helms alight.”

6. (figuratively, intransitive)Often followed by on or upon: to find by accident; to chance upon, to come upon.
7. (intransitive, obsolete)To arrive.

   “Madam, heres a pretty hanſome ſtripling, nevv alight, / Enquires for Don Antonio.”

8. (also, archaic, figuratively, transitive)To cast light on (something); to illuminate, to light up.
9. (also, archaic, figuratively, transitive)To set light to (something); to set (something) on fire; to ignite, to light.

   “The officer hauing by this time alighted his lampe, entred into the roome to ſee him, vvhom he accounted to be dead, […]”

adj

1. (also, archaic, figuratively, not-comparable, transitive)Burning, lit, on fire.

   “The burning embers and the dry wind quickly set the whole neighbourhood alight.”

   “The sticks were damp and wouldn’t catch alight.”

   “If a train enters the forward section before its description has been transmitted, a "not described" lamp is illuminated on the transmitter, an alarm buzzer is sounded, and the lamp remains alight until a description has been transmitted.”

   “With a heavy load of 650 tons for Arras and Lille we started very quietly, with about a third of a glass of water, and the fire barely alight. This frightened me, but I had reckoned without the 4-6-4's American mechanical stoker.”

2. (also, archaic, figuratively, not-comparable, transitive)Often followed by with: shining with light; luminous, radiant; also, brightly coloured; vivid.
3. (also, archaic, figuratively, not-comparable, transitive)Often followed by with: shining with light; luminous, radiant; also, brightly coloured; vivid.
4. (also, archaic, figuratively, not-comparable, transitive)Aglow with activity or emotion.

   “Her face was alight with happiness.”

   “But such a fierce, little, rapid, sparkling, energetic, she-devil I never beheld. She was alight and flaming, all the time.”

adv

1. (also, archaic, figuratively, not-comparable, transitive)Chiefly in set alight: in flames, on fire; aflame.

   “Each chapel had its saintly shrine, hung around with offerings; its picture above the altar, although closely veiled, if by any painter of renown; and its hallowed tapers, burning continually, to set alight the devotion of the worshippers.”