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Definition: Lightning |
LightningNoun1. Abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light. 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. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "lightning" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Bible | 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). Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Dream Interpretation | Lightning in your dreams, foreshadows happiness and prosperity of short duration. If the lightning strikes some object near you, and you feel the shock, you will be damaged by the good fortune of a friend, or you may be worried by gossipers and scandalmongers. To see livid lightning parting black clouds, sorrow and difficulties will follow close on to fortune. If it strikes you, unexpected sorrows will overwhelm you in business or love. To see the lightning above your head, heralds the advent of joy and gain. To see lightning in the south, fortune will hide herself from you for awhile. If in the southwest, luck will come your way. In the west, your prospects will be brighter than formally. In the north, obstacles will have to be removed before your prospects will brighten up. If in the east, you will easily win favors and fortune. Lightning from dark and ominous-looking clouds, is always a forerunner of threats, of loss and of disappointments. Business men should stay close to business, and women near their husbands or mothers; children and the sick should be looked after closely. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Electrical Engineering | Discharge of electricity. Source: European Union. (references) |
Geography | Luminous manifestation accompanying a sudden electrical discharge which takes place from or inside a cloud or, less often, from high structures on the ground or from mountains. Source: European Union. (references) |
Literature | Lightning [Barca]. Hamilcar of Carthage was called "Barca," both on account of the rapidity of his march and also for the severity of his attacks. (B.C. 247-228.) Chain lightning. Two or more flashes of lightning repeated without intermission. Forked lightning. Zig-zag lightning. Globular lightning. A meteoricball [of fire], which sometimes falls on the earth and flies off with an explosion. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Physics | Electrical discharge between a highly-charged cloud and another cloud or the planet's surface. On earth, energy from the sun is the ultimate source for creating lightning. Warmth from the sun's radiant energy is responsible for convection of air, and frictional effects cause the separation of charges which makes lightning possible. The lightning flash is composed of several strokes. The first, called the stepped leader, originates from the cloud. It comprises brief (~ 1 ms) spikes in electrical current (to more than 1000 A) separated by times of lesser current ( 50 ms, ~100 A). This part of the lightning flash sets the jagged shape that the later, more intense return strokes (currents originating from the earth) will follow. The return strokes may have currents in excess of 30 kA, each lasting for about 50 ms. A typicallightning flash transfers a net negative charge of about 10 C from the atmosphere to the earth. See also http://FusEdWeb.pppl.gov/CPEP/Chart_Pages/5.Plasmas/Lightning.html. (references) |
Public Administration | Visible spark of electric discharge in the air between cloud and cloud or cloud and earth, usually but not necessarily accompanied by thunder and storm; Can cause extensive fires. Source: European Union. (references) |
Science | A discharge of atmospheric electricity accompanied by a vivid flash of light. During thunderstorms, static electricity builds up within the clouds. A positive charge builds in the upper part of the cloud, while a large negative charge builds in the lower portion. When the difference between the positive and negative charges becomes great, the electrical charge jumps from one area to another, creating a lightning bolt. Most lightning bolts strike from one cloud to another, but they also can strike the ground. These bolts occur when positive charges build up on the ground. A negative charge called the 'faintly luminous streamer' or 'leader' flows from the cloud toward the ground. Then a positively charged leader, called the return stroke, leaves the ground and runs into the cloud. What is seen as a lightning bolt is actually a series of downward-striking leaders and upward-striking return strokes, all taking place in less than a second. Lightning bolts can heat the air to temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun. This burst of heat makes the air around the bolt expand explosively, producing the sound we hear as thunder. Since light travels a million times faster than sound, we see lightning bolts before we hear their thunderclaps. By counting the seconds between a flash of lightning and the thunderclap and dividing by five, we can determine the approximate number of miles to the lightning stroke. (references) |
Slang in 1811 | LIGHTNING. Gin. A flash of lightning; a glass of gin. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. |
Space | A sudden electric flow between a thunderstorm cloud and the ground (or another cloud), for a brief instant producing heat and light along its path (and the heat, in turn, producing a sudden expansion of air, which initiates the thunder). Lightning removes electric charge, created in collisions of freezing raindrops. Large drops fall down, while small ones, carrying charges of the opposite sign, rise up because the force of gravity pulling them down is overcome by upward-blowing winds. The work performed by separating opposite charge ends up as electric energy, at high voltages. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The English Electric Lightning is a powerful supersonic British fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, particularly remembered for its modernity that was emphasised by its natural metal exterior throughout much of its service life with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force. A stunning performer at airshows and one of the most powerful aircraft ever used in formation aerobatics.
XS897 Lightning of RAF 5 Squadron breaks over XR770 on one of the squadron's last sorties prior to disbandment. The aircraft were painted with the old style roundels to represent one of the squadron's earlier aircraft.
Larger versionThe prototype, known as the English Electric P.1, was built to satisfy the British Air Ministry's specification coded F23/49 and flew for the first time from RAF Boscombe Down on 4th August 1954. The designer was W.E.W. Petter.
The first operational aircraft, a mark F1, arrived at Coltishall in Norfolk in December 1959. It served initially with 74 Squadron. As strategic awareness increased and a multitude of alternative fighter designs were developed by Warsaw Pact and NATO members, the Lightning's shortcomings in terms of range and firepower became increasingly apparent during the 1960s. The withdrawal of McDonnell FH-1 Phantoms from Royal Navy service enabled these longer range aircraft to be transferred to the RAF and more efficient SEPECAT Jaguars also arrived to defend UK airspace. Lightnings were therefore slowly phased-out of front-line service between 1974 and 1989.
In their final years of UK service all RAF Lightnings were based at Binbrook in Lincolnshire and many were camouflaged to make them less conspicuous when flying at low level. They tended to defend the Flamborough Head Sector of airspace above the North Sea. These later aircraft were the single seater F.3 and F.6 and the twin seat trainer variants T.4 and T.5, all constructed by British Aerospace. All could be simply distinguished from earlier versions by their flat topped fins. The F.3 was first flown on 16th June 1962 and the longer-range F.6 on 16th June 1965. The versions sold to Saudi Arabia were essentially similar to the T.5 and F.6 models in UK service and this final production batch reverted to the classic natural metal external finish which lasted well in the drier Arabian climate.
The arrangement of the two Avon turbojets one above the other remains a relatively unusual configuration, yielding a rather slab-sided design. Slender flat wings swept rearwards at a startling sixty degrees served to further emphasise the fuselage. Many Lightnings are conserved in museum collections where they will continue to delight visitors with their clean sleek lines, evocative of the high speeds that they once attained.
Specifications (F.3A/F.6)
- Power: Two Rolls-Royce RA34R Avon 310 turbojet engines with afterburners
- Thrust: 13,200 pounds ST each (6,000 kgf)
- Length: 55 feet, 3 inches (16.84 m)
- Height: 19 feet, 7 inches (5.97 m)
- Wingspan: 34 feet, 10 inches (10.62 m)
- Speed: 1,500 mph at 40,000 feet (Mach 2.3)
- Ceiling: 60,000 feet (18,182 m)
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: 50,000 pounds (22,727 kg, 28,000 lbs empty)
- Range: 800 miles (1280 km)
- Armament: Two 30 mm cannon; Either two Firestreak AAM or 44 2-inch rockets or reconnaissance equipment; 6000 lb on wing hardpoints
- Crew: 1
- Date Deployed: June 1965
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "English Electric Lightning."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Lightning is a massive natural electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm. Lightning's abrupt electric discharge is accompanied by the emission of light. Lightning produces a sound from the electricity passing through the atmosphere (refered to as "thunder").
- For "White lightning" (nickname for illegal whiskey), see: Moonshine.
In the above picture, multiple cloud-to-ground
and cloud-to-cloud lightning strokes are
observed during a night-time thunderstorm.
(full sized image)
How Lightning is Formed
Ice crystals inside cumulonimbus clouds rub against one another due to the strong updrafts in these clouds, thus building up a strong static charge. Positively charged crystals tend to rise to the top causing the cloud top to build up a positive static charge and negatively charged crystals and hail stones drop to the middle and bottom layers of the cloud building up a negative static charge. Cumulonimbus clouds that do not produce enough ice crystals usually fail to produce enough static electricity to cause lightning.
Lightning can also occur as a result of volcanic eruptions, which generate sufficient dust to create a static charge.
The earth is normally negatively charged with respect to the atmosphere. But as the thunderstorm passes over the ground, the negative charges at the bottom of the cumulonimbus cloud cause the positive charges on the ground to gather along the surface for several miles around the storm. When the negatives and positives gather in this way, an electrical discharge occurs, producing the bolt. This discharge usually occurs within the clouds or between the clouds and the ground. If you feel your hair stand up on end in a lightning storm beware. The negative charges from the cloud are pulling the positive charges inside your body to the top of your head and you could be in danger of being struck.
A bolt of lightning usually begins when a stepped leader stroke is sent out from the cloud. This leader is invisible to the naked eye. The electrical charge follows this leader from the ground back to the cloud. The return stroke is the most luminous part of the strike, and the part that is really visible. Most lightning strikes usually last about a quarter of a second. Sometimes several strokes will travel up and down the same leader strike, causing a flickering effect. Thunder is caused when the discharge rapidly super heats the air around the strike, causing a shockwave to be sent out.
Various Types of Lightning
All lightning is formed in the same fashion, as stated above, but some strikes take on particular characteristics, and scientists and the public have given names to these various types of lightning.
Intracloud Lightning, Sheet Lightning, Anvil Crawlers
Intracloud lightning is the most common type of lightning which occurs completely inside one cumulonimbus cloud, jumping between different charged regions within the cloud. Intracloud lightning is commonly known as sheet lightning because it lights up the cloud and the surrounding sky with a sheet of light. One special type of intracloud lightning is commonly called an anvil crawler. Discharges of electricity in anvil crawlers travel up the sides of the cumulonimbus cloud branching out at the anvil top.
Cloud-to-Ground Lightning, Anvil Lightning, Bead Lightning, Ribbon Lightning, Staccato Lightning
Cloud-to-ground lightning is a lightning discharge between a cumulonimbus cloud and the ground initiated by the downward-moving leader stroke. This is the second most common type of lightning. One special type of cloud-to-ground lightning is anvil lightning, which is sometimes called positive charge lightning, since it emanates from the anvil top of a cumulonimbus cloud where the ice crystals are positively charged. In anvil lightning, the leader stroke issues forth in a nearly horizontal direction till it veers toward the ground. These usually occur miles ahead of the main storm and will strike without warning on a sunny day. They are signs of an approaching storm. Another special type of cloud-to-ground lightning is bead lightning. This is a regular cloud-to-ground stroke that contains a higher intensity of luminosity. When the discharge fades it leaves behind a string of beads effect for a brief moment in the leader channel. A third special type of cloud-to-ground lightning is ribbon lightning. These occur in thunderstorms where there are high cross winds and multiple return strokes. The winds will blow each successive return stroke slightly to one side of the previous return stoke, causing a ribbon effect. The last special type of cloud-to-ground lightning is staccato lightning which is nothing more than a leader stroke with only one return stroke.
Cloud-to-Cloud Lightning
Cloud-to-cloud lightning is a somewhat rare type of discharge lightning between two or more completely separate cumulonimbus clouds.
Ground-to-Cloud Lightning
Ground-to-cloud lightning is a lightning discharge between the ground and a cumulonimbus cloud from an upward-moving leader stroke. Most ground-to-cloud lightning occurs off of tall buildings, mountains and towers.
Heat Lightning
Heat lightning is nothing more than the faint flashes of lightning on the horizon from distant thunderstorms. Heat lightning was named because it often occurs on hot summer nights. Heat lightning can be an early warning sign that thunderstorms are approaching.
Ball Lightning
Ball lightning is described as a floating, illuminated ball that occurs during thunderstorms. They can be fast moving, slow moving or nearly stationary. Some make hissing or crackling noises or no noise at all. Some have been known to pass through windows and even dissipate with a bang. Ball lightning is a phenomenon only described by those who have witnessed it occurring.
However, the engineer Nikola Tesla wrote in Electrical World and Engineer, March 5, 1904 "I have succeeded in determining the mode of their formation and producing them artificially."
Sprites and Jets
Sprites and jets are electrical discharges that occur high above a cumulonimbus cloud. They have been found to occur jointly or as a reaction to a normal discharge lightning. They are only visible for a split second, making them hard to detect with the naked eye. Photographs of them have been taken through telescopes mounted on high mountains or buildings aimed at distant thunderstorms. The most recent pictures and observations of sprites and jets have been from space aboard the space shuttles and unmanned satellites mounted with cameras pointed at the Earth's atmosphere.
Streak Lightning
All lightning is streak lighting. This is nothing more than the return stroke, the visible part of the lightning stroke. Because most of these strokes occur intracloud, we do not see many of the individual return strokes in a thunderstorm.
Lightning Facts
A bolt of lightning can reach temperatures approaching 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 28000 Kelvin) in a split second. This is hot enough to cause lightning strikes that hit a loose soil or sandy region of the ground to fuse the soil or sand into channels called fulgurites. These fulgurites are sometimes found under the sandy surfaces of beaches and golf courses or in desert regions. It is one evidence that lightning spreads out into branching channels when it strikes the ground.
Lightning Safety
Lightning is responsible for approximately 100 deaths a year in the United States alone. Lightning ranks second only to floods for storm related casualties in the U.S. every year. Many of these deaths could be prevented if basic precautions are taken when thunderstorms are expected in an area. Listening to a radio to keep up to date on storms in the area is the best way to prepare for safety.
One way to prepare for lightning safety is to intalls a device klnown as lightning conductor (commonly known as a lightning rod) for preventing injury by lightning to an individual or an instrument. Lightning rods consists of a short circuit to the ground that interrupt lightning by a thin nonconductor over which it jumps.
Safer Locations
No place is truly 100% safe in a thunderstorm, but some places are more safe than others. Larger, better constructed structures are better than smaller or more open structures. Fully enclosed metal vehicles with the windows rolled up are good shelters, providing that no contact is made with any exposed metal inside or outside the vehicle.
When outside, avoid the following:
If you find yourself trapped in an open area during a storm, position yourself close to the ground by squatting with your feet close together. Since lightning spreads when it hits the ground, you want to minimize as much surface area between you and the ground. Remember, humans are good conductors of electricity, and lightning tends to strike at the highest thing in an area, because electricity will always try to find the shortest pathway to the ground.
- High places and open fields
- isolated trees
- unprotected gazebos
- rain or picnic shelters
- baseball dugouts
- communications towers
- flagpoles
- light poles
- bleachers (metal or wood)
- metal fences
- convertibles
- golf carts
- water (ocean, lakes, swimming pools, rivers, etc.).
- metal shafted umbrellas
When inside avoid the following:
(basically anything to do with water)
- Use of the telephone
- taking a shower or bath
- washing your hands
- doing dishes
- any contact with conductive surfaces with exposure to the outside such as metal door or window frames, electrical wiring, telephone wiring, cable TV wiring, plumbing, etc.
- using electrical appliances that plug into the wall
- being near windows and doors in general
Lightning in Cultures and Media
Lightning is often considered a devine or supernatural phenomenon. In many mythologies, it plays a role, and often have an affiliation with a certain god.
- In Greek mythology, lightning and thunder are weapons of Zeus, given from Cyclopes.
- In Maya mythology, Huracan is sometimes represented as three lightning bolts.
- In Norse mythology, Odin's spear Gungnir is an embodiment of lightning. In addition, his son, Thor is specifically the God of Thunder and Lightning
- In Native American mythology, the Ani Hyuntikwalaski ("Thunder Beings") are beings that cause lightning fire in a hollow sycamore tree.
- In movies and comics of the contemporary U.S. and many other countries, the lightning is often employed as an omnious, dramatic sign. It may herald a waking of a great evil or emergence of a crisis. Various novels and role playing games with fantasy tint involves wizardry of lightning bolt, weapon embodying the power of lightning, etc. The comic book character Billy Batson changed into the superhero Captain Marvel by saying the word, "Shazam!" which called down a bolt of magic lightning to strike to change.
Links
- dmoz: Thunderstorms and Lightning
- Lightning Safety Page - National Weather Service Pueblo Colorado Citat: "...This is know as a "side flash". Many people who are "struck" by lightning are not hit directly by the main lightning channel, but are affected by the side flash..."
- Lightning Facts
- Laser Beam Triggers Lightning Strike During Japanese Experiment
- Colorado Lightning Resource Center
- Webarchive: April 25,1997 Sandia-led research may zap old beliefs about lightning protection at critical facilities; Triggered lightning tests leading to safer storage bunkers
- 2003-11-06, ScienceDaily: Thunderstorm Research Shocks Conventional Theories; Florida Tech Physicist Throws Open Debate On Lightning's Cause "...scientists have searched inside thunderstorms for many years, looking for these large electric fields, only to come up empty handed..."Although everyone is familiar with lightning, we still don't know much about how it really works," said Dwyer...."
- March 2, 1999, University of Houston: UH Physicists Pursue Lighting-Like Mysteries Qoute: "...Red sprites and blue jets are brief but powerful lightning-like flashes that appear at altitudes of 40-100 km (25-60 miles) above thunderstorms..."
- Austrian Lightning Detection and Information System
- Europeen Cooperation of Lightning Detection
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Lightning."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
| LIS | English | Lightning Imaging Sensor | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonym: LightningSynonym: Thunderbolts. (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Drunkenness | Drink; alcoholic drinks; blue ruin, grog, port wine; punch, punch bowl; cup, rosy wine, flowing bowl; drop, drop too much; dram; beer; (beverage); aguardiente; apple brandy, applejack; brandy, brandy smash; chain lightning, champagne, gin, ginsling; highball, peg, rum, rye, schnapps, sherry, sling, uisquebaugh, usquebaugh, whisky, xeres. |
Instantaneity | Moment, instant, second, minute; twinkling, trice, flash, breath, crack, jiffy, coup, burst, flash of lightning, stroke of time. |
Adjective: instantaneous, momentary, sudden, immediate, instant, abrupt, discontinuous, precipitous, precipitant, precipitate; subitaneous, hasty;quick as thought, quick as lightning, quick as a flash; rapid as electricity. | |
Punishment | Be executed, suffer the ultimate penalty; be hanged; come to the gallows, mount the gallows, swing, twist in the wind, dance upon nothing, die in one's shoes; be rightly served; be electrocuted, fry, ride the lightning; face the firing squad. |
Refuge | Jury mast; vent-peg; safety valve, blow-off valve; safety lamp; lightning rod, lightning conductor; safety belt, airbag, seat belt; antilock brakes, antiskid tires, snow tires. |
Vehicle | Train; accommodation train, passenger train, express trail, special train, corridor train, parliamentary train, luggage train, freight train, goods train; st class train, nd class train, rd class train, st class carriage, nd class carriage, rd class carriage, st class compartment, nd class compartment, rd class compartment; rolling stock; horse box, cattle truck; baggage car, express car, freight car, parlor car, dining car, Pullman car, sleeping car, sleeper, dome car; surface car, tram car, trolley car; box car, box wagon; horse car; bullet train, shinkansen, cannonball, the Wabash cannonball, lightning express; luggage van; mail, mail car, mail van. |
Velocity | Lightning, greased lightning, light, electricity, wind; cannon ball, rocket, arrow, dart, hydrargyrum, quicksilver; telegraph, express train; torrent. |
Adjective: fast, speedy, swift, rapid, quick, fleet; aliped; nimble, agile, expeditious; express; active; flying, galloping; Verb: light footed, nimble footed; winged, eagle winged, mercurial, electric, telegraphic; light-legged, light of heel; swift as an arrow; Noun: quick as lightning; Noun: quick as a thought. | |
Wind | Phrase: "lull'd by soft zephyrs"; "the storm is up and all is on the hazard"; "the winds were wither'd in the stagnant air"; "while mocking winds are piping loud"; "winged with red lightning and tempestuous rage". |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Lightning just struck my brain (Hook; writing credit: J.M. Barrie;) I heard that you have a better chance of winning the lottery than you do getting struck by lightning. (USA High; writing credit: Bernie Ancheta; Paul Corrigan) My driving is rivaled only by the lightning bolts from the heavens (The Cannonball Run; writing credit: Brock Yates) Hold the lightning bolt there, Lord, I'm just doing this for the kid. (Archie Bunker's Place; writing credit: David Angell; Richard Baer) And then it's all black hair and veins and lightning bolts (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; writing credit: Doreen Spicer) | |
Lyrics | We felt the lightning (Night Moves; performing artist: BOB SEGER; writing credit: Bob Seger) Well, lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice (Gypsy; performing artist: Fleetwood Mac; writing credit: Stevie Nicks) Dark clouds all around, lightning, rain pouring down (Where's The Love; performing artist: Hanson) Violent lightning (Girl With the Hungry Eyes; performing artist: JEFFERSON STARSHIP) I turned your dreams into lightning (Enough of Me; performing artist: Melissa Etheridge) | |
Clever | Thunder is impressive, but it is lightning that does the work. (references; author: Mark Twain) Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge (references; author: unknown) My mind works like lightning. One brilliant flash, and it is gone. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | White Lightning (1973) Day of Drums John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning (1966) Purple Lightning Sword (1964) White Lightning (1953) Lightning Strikes Twice (1951) | |
Song Titles | Lightning Crashes (performing artist: Live) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References | |||
Books | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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High Tech |
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Consumer Goods |
| ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Lightning in approaching storm, White's City, New Mexico. Credit: CDC. |  | Twin burns on ground from lightning strike, Atlanta, Georgia. Credit: CDC. |
 | Lightning Above the STS-8 Launch Pad. Credit: NASA. |  | Station Caribou after being struck by lightning - Elevation 9816 feet Elevation 9816 feet Triangulation party of William M. Scaife. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | A new forest fire - about 30 minutes after being started by lightning Rain put out the fire the following day Triangulation party of Walt Helm. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Washington Monument and Smithsonian Institution as seen from Potomac River. In: "Protection from Lightning" by Alexander McAdie. 1894. Library Call Number TH 9057.M3 1894. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
 | Lightning strike left small hole in the nose of NOAA C-130 research aircraft. Credit: Flying With NOAA. |  | A cloud-to-ground lightning stroke originating from higher based cloud structure . Lightning stroke penetrates a low level cloud before reaching earth. Credit: National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). |
 | Multiple cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strokes caught using time-lapse photography during a night-time thunderstorm. Credit: National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). |  | Figure 11. Lightning sounder, designed in 1866 by Lieutenant Charles C. P. Fitz gerald, RN. This model was used on the LIGHTNING during the Faroe Islands expedition of 1868. It was used for systematic sounding operations in depths up to 1189 meters and according to Charles Wyville Thomson, a mission participant, it never failed despite its primitive and unlikely appearance. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Lightning globe 3" by Ruud De Jong Commentary: "Photo taken with a Canon Powershot A70." | "Lightning strike" by Carl Dwyer Commentary: "I found a really super, brilliant hidden funktion on my olympus 2000, you can set the exposure time upto 16 seconds, amazing eh, so the next thing I did was to go out and test its hidden function, simply wait for a storm to come and keep pressing the expo" |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Buddha | This life of separateness may be compared to a dream, a phantasm, a bubble, a shadow, a drop of dew, a flash of lightning. |
Charles Dickens | Bring in the bottled lightning, a clean tumbler, and a corkscrew. |
Frederick Douglass | Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want rain without thunder and lightning. |
Horace | The lofty pine is oftenest shaken by the winds; High towers fall with a heavier crash; And the lightning strikes the highest mountain. |
Oscar Wilde | His style is chaos illumined by flashes of lightning. As a writer he has mastered everything except language. |
Ralph Waldo Emerson | The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine. |
Samuel Taylor Coleridge | To see him act is like reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | The lightning must have both confused and helped him. |
Gulliver's Travels | Swift, Jonathan | It looked as if ten thousand flashes of lightning were darting at the same time from every quarter of the sky. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Economic History | Mexico | This translates into demand for switches, transformers, control boards, lightning arrestors, circuit breakers, fuses and couplings. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | ELECTRICITY, n. The power that causes all natural phenomena not known to be caused by something else. It is the same thing as lightning, and its famous attempt to strike Dr. Franklin is one of the most picturesque incidents in that great and good man's career. The memory of Dr. Franklin is justly held in great reverence, particularly in France, where a waxen effigy of him was recently on exhibition, bearing the following touching account of his life and services to science: "Monsieur Franqulin, inventor of electricity. This illustrious savant, after having made several voyages around the world, died on the Sandwich Islands and was devoured by savages, of whom not a single fragment was ever recovered." Electricity seems destined to play a most important part in the arts and industries. The question of its economical application to some purposes is still unsettled, but experiment has already proved that it will propel a street car better than a gas jet and give more light than a horse. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Harry S. Truman | 1945-1953 | At a time when massive changes are occurring with lightning speed throughout the world, it is often difficult to perceive how this central objective is best served in one isolated complex situation or another. |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | My friends, we live in a world that is lit by lightning. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Lightning" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.84% of the time. "Lightning" is used about 634 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 99.84% | 633 | 10,269 |
| Lexical Verb (-ing form) | 0.16% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 634 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "lightning" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Lightning | Last name | 170 | 50,757 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "lightning". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Adoni-bezek | N/A | Biblical | The Lord of lightning |
| Adoni-bezek | N/A | Biblical | The lightning of the Lord |
| Beneberak | N/A | Biblical | Sons of lightning |
| Bezek | N/A | Biblical | Lightning |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
| Country | Name |
| USA | Lightning Rod Software, Inc. |
| (more examples...) |
Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.
Expressions using "lightning": a flash of lightning ♦ as lightning ♦ as swift as lightning ♦ ball lightning ♦ be struck by lightning ♦ bolt of lightning ♦ Chain lightning ♦ flash lightning ♦ flash of lightning ♦ forked lightning ♦ globe lightning ♦ globular lightning ♦ go like lightning ♦ green lightning ♦ heat lightning ♦ lightning arrester ♦ lightning bug ♦ lightning call ♦ lightning conductor ♦ lightning cutover ♦ lightning decision ♦ lightning discharger ♦ lightning fire ♦ lightning flash ♦ Lightning glance ♦ lightning Hurler ♦ Lightning Injuries ♦ lightning raid ♦ lightning ring ♦ lightning rod ♦ lightning shake ♦ lightning storm ♦ lightning strike ♦ like a streak of lightning ♦ like lightning ♦ protection ratio against lightning impulses ♦ ride the lightning ♦ sheet lightning ♦ streak of lightning ♦ strike by lightning ♦ stroke of lightning ♦ summer lightning ♦ thunder and lightning ♦ white lightning ♦ with lightning speed. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "lightning": lightning-attack, lightning-blasted, lightning-conductor, lightning-conductor-like, lightning-faced, lightning-fast, lightning-flashes, lightning-flashings, lightning-like, lightning-paced, lightning-quick, lightning-rod, lightning-sharp, lightning-spark, lightning-spattered, lightning-split, lightning-swift. | |
Ending with "lightning": globe-lightning, re-lightning, sheet-lightning, spider-lightning. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
lightning | 6,158 | p 38 lightning | 96 |
lightning rod | 2,408 | lightning detector | 94 |
lightning strike | 1,425 | hand his in lightning | 76 |
ford lightning | 1,076 | crash lightning | 76 |
lightning picture | 384 | lightning map | 72 |
lightning bug | 310 | f150 lightning | 70 |
johnny lightning | 242 | p38 lightning | 70 |
lightning storm | 239 | lightning strike map | 64 |
lightning audio | 233 | lightning video | 64 |
lightning protection | 183 | 2003 ford lightning | 62 |
lightning bolt | 162 | lightning safety | 60 |
tampa bay lightning | 161 | arrester lightning polymer | 59 |
white lightning | 160 | lightning seed | 59 |
lightning photo | 158 | ford f 150 lightning | 58 |
ball lightning | 146 | lightning sail boat | 58 |
2004 ford lightning | 140 | greased lightning | 56 |
svt lightning | 138 | lightning pic | 54 |
ford lightning svt | 126 | lightning background | 54 |
thunder and lightning | 120 | ride the lightning | 52 |
lightning wallpaper | 100 | f 150 lightning | 50 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "lightning"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | vetëtimë (bolt, thunderbolt). (various references) | |
Arabic | حظ سعيد (bonanza, good luck), سريع كالبرق, صاعقة (bolt, thunderbolt), برق (cable, flamboyance, flamboyancy, fulgurite, glimmer, mail, shimmer, telegram, telegraph, thunderbolt, wire). (various references) | |
Asturian | esllendiente. (various references) | |
Aymara | llijulliju. (various references) | |
Basque | tximistorratz (lightning-conductor). (various references) | |
Bemba | akalumba. (various references) | |
Blackfoot | áípapomm. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | светкавица (scintillation), мълния (bolt, flash, shaft, thunder, thunderbolt). (various references) | |
Catalan | llampec. (various references) | |
Cebuano | kilat. (various references) | |
Chamorro | lamlam. (various references) | |
Chinese | 閃電 , 閃 (flash), 闪电. (various references) | |
Cornish | lughes. (various references) | |
Czech | blesk (flash, thunderbolt, wildfire). (various references) | |
Danish | lyn (lightning flash). (various references) | |
Dutch | flits (detonative flashlight), bliksem (lightning flash), schicht, hemelvuur, bliksemschicht (lightning flash). (various references) | |
Ecuadorian Quechua | jagannina. (various references) | |
Esperanto | fulmo. (various references) | |
Faeroese | snarljós. (various references) | |
Farsi | اذرخش زدن (Levin), اذرخش (Levin, Thunderbolt), برق زدن (Alight, Flash, Glisten, Glitter, Luster, Ray, Scintillate, Wink). (various references) | |
Finnish | salama (lightning flash). (various references) | |
French | foudre (lightning flash), éclair (flash of lighting). (various references) | |
Frisian | blits. (various references) | |
German | Blitz (bolt, flash, thunderbolt). (various references) | |
Greek | αστραπή (flash, flash of lightning). (various references) | |
Hebrew | בזק (flash). (various references) | |
Hungarian | villámlás (bolt, fulmination, lightning strike, thunderbolt, thunder-clap), villám (flash, flash of lightning, Levin, thunder, thunderbolt). (various references) | |
Indonesian | geledek (thunder), cemeti (whip). (various references) | |
Inuktitut | kalliq. (various references) | |
Italian | fulmine (bolt, flash, flash of lightning, thunderbolt), baleno (flash), lampo (flash, zip fastener). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 雷光 , 電光 , 稲光 , 稲妻 , ライトウエルター級 (light beer, light director, light opera, light van, light welterweight, lighthouse, right-hand). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ライトニング , でんこう (electrical engineering, electrician, electronic?), いなずま, いなびかり, いなづま, らいこう (arrival by ship, arrival of ships, coming to pay tribute, enter, invasion, raid). (various references) | |
Korean | 번개. (various references) | |
Lombard | fulmen. (various references) | |
Macedonian | grmotevica. (various references) | |
Manx | tendreil, chenney (elemental fire, rickets). (various references) | |
Maori | uira. (various references) | |
Norwegian | lyn. (various references) | |
Occitan | paratroneire (lightning-conductor). (various references) | |
Papago | wepgih. (various references) | |
Papiamen | lampro, lamper. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | ightninglay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | relâmpago (bolt, flash, lightening), raio (bolt, gleam, radius, ray, spoke, thunder, thunderbolt). (various references) | |
Provencal | liuç. (various references) | |
Romanian | fulgurant (flashing), fulger (bolt, Levin, post haste, streak, thunderbolt). (various references) | |
Romansch | chametg. (various references) | |
Romany | svetkavitsa. (various references) | |
Ruanda | imiravyo. (various references) | |
Russian | молния (levin, zipper). (various references) | |
Samoan | uila. (various references) | |
Scottish | dealan, dealanach, dealan. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | sevati (fulgurate, pierce), munja (heat lightning, levin, thunderbolt). (various references) | |
Shona | mheni. (various references) | |
Spanish | relámpago (flash). (various references) | |
Sranan | kotfaya. (various references) | |
Swahili | umeme. (various references) | |
Swazi | um-bani. (various references) | |
Swedish | blixt (flash, flash of lighting, Levin, lighting, thunderbolt, x-flash). (various references) | |
Thai | สายฟ้า. (various references) | |
Turkish | yıldırım (bolt, flash, streak of lightning, thunderbolt), şimşek gibi (in nothing flat, like a streak of lightning, meteoric, with lightning speed), şimşek (flash, streak, streak of lightning), çok hızlı (at rare bat, fortissimo, meteoric, on the wings of the wind, very fast, very quickly). (various references) | |
Turkmen | яyldyrym. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | блискавка (bolt). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | tia chớp (levin), chớp. (various references) | |
Welsh | llucheden, mellten. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | adtoniti, adtonitis, fulgur, fulgura, fulguris, fulmina, fulmine, sulphur, sulphure, sulphuris. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Luke Chapter 10, Verse 18 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Eipen de autoiV eqewroun ton satanan wV astraphn ek tou ouranou pesonta |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Et ait illis videbam Satanan sicut fulgur de caelo cadentem |
| Old English | 990 | West Saxon | þa sæde he him. ic geseah satanan swa swa ligræsc of heofone feallende: |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | And he seide to hem, Y saiy Sathnas fallynge doun fro heuene, as leit. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | And he sayde vnto them: I sawe satan as it had bene lightenyng faule doune fro heave. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | And he said to them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | And he said, I was watching for Satan, falling from heaven like a star. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Luke Chapter 10, Verse 18 |
| Cebuano | Ug si Jesus miingon kanila, "Nakita ko si Satanas nga nahulog ingon sa kilat gikan sa langit. |
| Chinese | 耶 穌 就 對 他 們 說 、 我 曾 看 見 撒 但 從 天 上 墜 落 、 像 閃 電 一 樣 。 |
| Croatian | A on im reèe: "Promatrah Sotonu kako poput munje s neba pade. |
| Danish | Men han sagde til dem: "Jeg så Satan falde ned fra Himmelen som et Lyn. |
| Dutch | En Hij zeide tot hen: Ik zag den satan, als een bliksem, uit den hemel vallen. |
| Finnish | Silloin hän sanoi heille: "Minä näin saatanan lankeavan taivaasta niinkuin salaman. |
| French | Jésus leur dit: Je voyais Satan tomber du ciel comme un éclair. |
| German | Er sprach aber zu ihnen: Ich sah wohl den Satanas vom Himmel fallen als einen Blitz. |
| Haitian Creole | Jezi di yo: Mwen te wè Satan ap tonbe sot nan syèl la tankou yon zèklè. |
| Hungarian | Õ pedig monda nékik: Látám a Sátánt, mint a villámlást lehullani az égbõl. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Yesus menjawab, "Aku melihat Iblis jatuh dari langit seperti kilat. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Maka kata Yesus kepada mereka itu, "Aku nampak Iblis jatuh seperti kilat dari langit. |
| Italian | Egli disse: «Io vedevo satana cadere dal cielo come la folgore. |
| Manx Gaelic | As dooyrt eh roo, Honnick mee Noid ny hanmey, myr tendreil, tuittym veih niau. |
| Maori | Ka mea ia ki a ratou, I kite ahau i a Hatana, me te mea he uira te takanga i te rangi. |
| Norwegian | Da sa han til dem: Jeg så Satan falle ned fra himmelen som et lyn. |
| Portuguese | Respondeu-lhes ele: Eu via Satanás, como raio, cair do céu. |
| Rumanian | Isus le -a zis: ,,Am vqzut pe Satana cqzknd ca un fulger din cer.`` |
| Russian | пО ЦЕ УЛБЪБМ ЙН: с ЧЙДЕМ УБФБОХ, УРБДЫЕЗП У ОЕВБ, ЛБЛ НПМОЙА; |
| Shuar | Tutai Jesus Tímiayi "Ee, Wisha nayaimpinmaya peem peetna Núnisan, uunt iwianch Satanásan akaiki iniaan Wáinkiamjai. |
| Spanish | Él les dijo: --Yo veía a Satanás caer del cielo como un rayo. |
| Swahili | Yeye akawaambia, "Nilimwona Shetani jinsi alivyokuwa anaporomoka kama umeme kutoka mbinguni. |
| Swedish | Då sade han till dem: "Jag såg Satan falla ned från himmelen såsom en ljungeld. |
| Uma | Na'uli' Yesus: "Kuhilo-di Magau' Anudaa' -e monawu' ngkai langi' hewa kila'! |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "lightning": lightninged, lightnings. (additional references) | |
| |
"Lightning" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: lightling, lightnign, lightnin, lightnings, Lightwing, ligntning, ligtning, litghtning. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "lightning" (pronounced lī"tning) |
| 3 | -n i ng | apportioning, abstaining, abandoning, adjoining, adjourning, aligning, ascertaining, assigning, attaining, auctioning, auditioning, awakening, awning, ballooning, banning, bargaining, battening, beckoning, beginning, bemoaning, binning, blackening, bludgeoning, boning, branning, brightening, brining, broadening, Browning, burdening, burgeoning, burning, campaigning, caning, Canning, captioning, careening, cartooning, cautioning, chaining, championing, chaperoning, cheapening, christening, churning, cleaning, cloning, clowning, coarsening, cocooning, coining, combining, commissioning, complaining, concerning, conditioning, condoning, confining, conning, constraining, containing, convening, Corning, couponing, crooning, crowning, cunning, cushioning, dampening, darkening, dawning, deadening, deafening, declining, decommissioning, deepening, defining, demeaning, Denning, designing, detaining, determining, dining, Dinning, discerning, disciplining, disdaining, disheartening, disillusioning, divining, donning, Downing, draining, droning, drowning, Dunning, Durning, earning, enjoining, enlightening, entertaining, envisioning, evening, examining, explaining, fanning, fashioning, fastening, fattening, fawning, feigning, fining, finning, flattening, freshening, frightening, frowning, functioning, gaining, gardening, ginning, glistening, governing, greening, grinning, groaning, gunning, happening, hardening, hastening, headlining, heartening, heightening, honing, Horning, housecleaning, imagining, imprisoning, impugning, inning, intertwining, intervening, intoning, ironing, jawboning, jettisoning, joining, Kenning, leaning, learning, leavening, lengthening, lessening, lightening, likening, lining, listening, loaning, loosening, machining, maddening, maintaining, malfunctioning, Manning, margining, meaning, mentioning, midmorning, mining, moaning, morning, motioning, mourning, obtaining, opening, opining, ordaining, orphaning, outlining, overrunning, overtraining, overturning, owning, panning, pardoning, partitioning, penning, pertaining, petitioning, phoning, pining, pinning, planning, poisoning, positioning, postponing, preening, preplanning, provisioning, pruning, quarantining, questioning, quickening, raining, rationing, realigning, reasoning, reassigning, reawakening, reckoning, reclining, reconditioning, redefining, redesigning, redlining, reexamining, refining, refraining, regaining, reigning, reining, rejoining, relearning, remaining, reopening, repositioning, rerunning, resigning, restraining, retaining, retraining, returning, rezoning, ripening, ruining, running, saddening, sanctioning, scanning, screening, seasoning, sectioning, sharpening, shining, shortening, shunning, sickening, signing, sinning, siphoning, slackening, softening, spanning, spawning, spinning, spurning, staining, stationing, stiffening, stoning, straightening, straining, streamlining, strengthening, stunning, summoning, sunning, sustaining, sweetening, swooning, tanning, telephoning, thickening, thinning, threatening, tightening, toning, toughening, training, tuning, turning, twining, underlining, undermining, underpinning, unquestioning, unreasoning, vacationing, Vining, waning, warning, weakening, weaning, whining, whitening, widening, wining, winning, worsening, yawning, yearning, zoning. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "g-g-h-i-i-l-n-n-t" | |
-1 letter: glinting, lighting, tingling. | |
-2 letters: hilting, hinging, hinting, nighing, tinging. | |
-3 letters: lignin, lining, tiling, tining. | |
-4 letters: glint, light, linin, night, nihil, ninth, thing. | |
-5 letters: gilt, hili, hilt, hint, inti, ling, linn, lint, nigh, thin, ting. | |
| Words containing the letters "g-g-h-i-i-l-n-n-t" | |
+1 letter: lightening, lightnings. | |
+2 letters: lightninged, nightingale. | |
+3 letters: enlightening, moonlighting, nightingales. | |
+4 letters: anthologizing, frighteningly, hemagglutinin, nightclubbing. | |
+5 letters: hemagglutinins, technologizing, unenlightening. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Quotations: Speeches | 13. Usage Frequency 14. Names: Frequency 15. Names: Derived from 16. Names: Company Usage | 17. Expressions 18. Expressions: Internet 19. Translations: Modern 20. Translations: Ancient | 21. Bible Trace 22. Abbreviations 23. Acronyms 24. Derivations | 25. Rhymes 26. Anagrams 27. Bibliography |
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