4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lightning  \Light"ning\  (l[imac]t"n[i^]ng),  n.  [For  lightening, 
  fr  lighten  to  flash.] 
  1.  A  discharge  of  atmospheric  electricity,  accompanied  by  a 
  vivid  flash  of  light,  commonly  from  one  cloud  to  another, 
  sometimes  from  a  cloud  to  the  earth.  The  sound  produced  by 
  the  electricity  in  passing  rapidly  through  the  atmosphere 
  constitutes  thunder. 
 
  2.  The  act  of  making  bright,  or  the  state  of  being  made 
  bright;  enlightenment;  brightening,  as  of  the  mental 
  powers.  [R.] 
 
  {Ball  lightning},  a  rare  form  of  lightning  sometimes  seen  as 
  a  globe  of  fire  moving  from  the  clouds  to  the  earth. 
 
  {Chain  lightning},  lightning  in  angular,  zigzag,  or  forked 
  flashes. 
 
  {Heat  lightning},  more  or  less  vivid  and  extensive  flashes  of 
  electric  light,  without  thunder,  seen  near  the  horizon, 
  esp.  at  the  close  of  a  hot  day 
 
  {Lightning  arrester}  (Telegraphy),  a  device,  at  the  place 
  where  a  wire  enters  a  building,  for  preventing  injury  by 
  lightning  to  an  operator  or  instrument.  It  consists  of  a 
  short  circuit  to  the  ground  interrupted  by  a  thin 
  nonconductor  over  which  lightning  jumps.  Called  also 
  {lightning  discharger}. 
 
  {Lightning  bug}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  luminous  beetle.  See  {Firefly}. 
 
 
  {Lightning  conductor},  a  lightning  rod. 
 
  {Lightning  glance},  a  quick,  penetrating  glance  of  a 
  brilliant  eye. 
 
  {Lightning  rod},  a  metallic  rod  set  up  on  a  building,  or  on 
  the  mast  of  a  vessel,  and  connected  with  the  earth  or 
  water  below,  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  building  or 
  vessel  from  lightning. 
 
  {Sheet  lightning},  a  diffused  glow  of  electric  light  flashing 
  out  from  the  clouds,  and  illumining  their  outlines.  The 
  appearance  is  sometimes  due  to  the  reflection  of  light 
  from  distant  flashes  of  lightning  by  the  nearer  clouds. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lightning  \Light"ning\  (l[imac]t"n[i^]ng),  vb  n. 
  Lightening.  [R.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  lightning 
  n  1:  emission  of  light  due  to  electricity  discharging  from  cloud 
  to  cloud  or  from  cloud  to  earth 
  2:  the  flash  of  light  that  accompanies  an  electric  discharge  in 
  the  atmosphere  (or  something  resembling  such  a  flash);  can 
  scintillate  for  a  second  or  more 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Lightning 
  frequently  referred  to  by  the  sacred  writers  (Nah.  1:3-6). 
  Thunder  and  lightning  are  spoken  of  as  tokens  of  God's  wrath  (2 
  Sam.  22:15;  Job  28:26;  37:4;  Ps  135:7;  144:6;  Zech.  9:14).  They 
  represent  God's  glorious  and  awful  majesty  (Rev.  4:5),  or  some 
  judgment  of  God  on  the  world  (20:9). 
 

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