different between imperceptible vs lights

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French imperceptible, from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis

Adjective

imperceptible (comparative more imperceptible, superlative most imperceptible)

1. not perceptible, not detectable, too small in magnitude to be observed
   • 1986, Derek Parfit, Reasons and Persons, OUP Oxford (?ISBN), page 75:

     Very small benefits may be imperceptible. And it is plausible to claim that an 'imperceptible benefit' is not a benefit.

   Synonyms: imperceivable, undistinguishable, unperceivable

   Antonyms: detectable, perceptible

Derived terms

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

From Medieval Latin imperceptibilis, equivalent to im- +? perceptible.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /im.p??.s?p?ti.bl?/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /im.p?r.s?p?ti.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /im.pe?.sep?ti.ble/

Adjective

imperceptible (masculine and feminine plural imperceptibles)

1. imperceptible

   Antonym: perceptible

Derived terms

• imperceptiblement

Further reading

• “imperceptible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “imperceptible” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “imperceptible” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “imperceptible” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

From the Medieval Latin imperceptibilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.p??.s?p.tibl/

Adjective

imperceptible (plural imperceptibles)

1. imperceptible

Further reading

• “imperceptible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Etymology

From Medieval Latin imperceptibilis; synchronically analyzable as im- +? perceptible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /impe??eb?tible/, [?m.pe?.?e???t?i.??le]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /impe?seb?tible/, [?m.pe?.se???t?i.??le]

Adjective

imperceptible (plural imperceptibles)

1. imperceptible

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /la?ts/
• Rhymes: -a?ts

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• lites

Noun

lights

1. plural of light

Noun

lights pl (plural only)

1. The lungs, now chiefly of an animal (being lighter than adjacent parts).
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.3:

     But forst him gape and gaspe, with dread aghast, / As if his lungs and lites were nigh asunder brast.

   • 1838, William Tennant, Anster fair, a poem, page 22:

     […] / hard puffing breasts and dance-o'erwearied lungs. / And truly had the crier will'd to shout / The doughty Piper's name through polish's trump, / His breath had not suffic'd to twang it out, / So did the poor man's lights puff, pant, and jump: / Wherefore to rest them from that dancing-bout, / […]

   • 2013, Dean King, The Feud: The Hatfields and McCoys: The True Story, Little, Brown (?ISBN):

     A hog's lights (or lungs), spleen, and brain found their way into dishes, as did the heart, liver, kidneys, and head, all considered delicacies. Even the feet, ears, and tail were eaten. The hooves were boiled to make glue.

Derived terms

• rising of the lights

Etymology 2

Verb

lights

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of light

Anagrams

• slight