different between lightning vs lightbulb

English

Wikiversity

Etymology

From light(e)n +? -ing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?la?t.n??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?la?t.n??/, [?l????.n??], [?l????.n??]

Noun

lightning (usually uncountable, plural lightnings)

1. A flash of light produced by short-duration, high-voltage discharge of electricity within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the earth.
2. A discharge of this kind.
3. (figuratively) Anything that moves very fast.
   • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot, chapter V:

     Nobs, though, was lightning by comparison with the slow thinking beast and dodged his opponent's thrust with ease. Then he raced to the rear of the tremendous thing and seized it by the tail.

4. The act of making bright, or the state of being made bright; enlightenment; brightening, as of the mental powers.

Quotations

• 2008, Kathy Clark, Stand By Your Man, page 280:

  Manny drove a few miles per hour under the speed limit, entranced by the awesome display of lightning streaking out of the clouds toward earth.

Usage notes

• bolt, flash, strike are some of the words used to count lightning.

Coordinate terms

• thunderbolt

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

lightning (not comparable)

1. Extremely fast or sudden; moving (as if) at the speed of lightning.

Translations

Verb

lightning (third-person singular simple present lightnings, present participle lightninging, simple past and past participle lightninged)

1. (impersonal, childish or nonstandard, intransitive) To produce lightning.
   • 1988, Carlo Collodi, Roberto Innocenti, The adventures of Pinocchio

     I don't know, Father, but believe me, it has been a horrible night — one that I'll never forget. It thundered and lightninged, and I was very hungry.

Usage notes

• The standard, but rare, verb for "produce lightning" is lighten, used only in the impersonal form "it lightens", or as "it’s lightening".

Translations

English

Etymology 1

Noun

lightbulb (plural lightbulbs)

1. Alternative spelling of light bulb

Etymology 2

Calque on Cantonese ??? (diàn d?ng pào), as though the third person is a light bulb in the background.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?la?t?b?lb/

Noun

lightbulb (plural lightbulbs)

1. (Singapore, colloquial) An uninvited third person joining a couple's date who prevents or hinders romantic interactions.
   • 2011, Heidy The Traveler, "[1]", Learn Singlish a Bit!, 23 October 2011:

     You two go ahead lah, I don't want to be lightbulb.

   • 2014, Chris Soh, "[2]", 20 Words That Mean Something Completely Different to Singaporeans, 3 August 2014:

     When she finally came out her friend joined us. Damn lightbulb leh!

   • 2014, carolcraves, "[3]", Twitter, 31 January 2014:

     Being an extra big light bulb and eating with two cousins and their husband and fiance.

Synonyms

• gooseberry
• third wheel