Heat lightning

Heat lightning
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. [1913 Webster]

2. The act of making bright, or the state of being made bright; enlightenment; brightening, as of the mental powers. [R.] [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Heat lightning — is a misnomer for the faint flashes of lightning on the horizon or other clouds from distant thunderstorms that do not have accompanying sounds of thunder. Heat lightning was named because it often occurs on hot summer nights, and to distinguish… …   Wikipedia

  • heat lightning — ☆ heat lightning n. lightning seen near the horizon, esp. on hot evenings, and thought to be reflections of lightning on clouds below the horizon: its thunder is too distant to hear …   English World dictionary

  • heat lightning — heat′ light ning n. mer lightning too distant for thunder to be heard, observed as diffuse flashes near the horizon on summer evenings …   From formal English to slang

  • heat lightning — lightning too distant for thunder to be heard, observed as diffuse flashes near the horizon on summer evenings. [1825 35, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • heat lightning — noun bright flashes of light near the horizon without thunder (especially on hot evenings); usually attributed to distant lightning that is reflected by clouds • Hypernyms: ↑lightning * * * noun [noncount] chiefly US : flashes of light in the sky …   Useful english dictionary

  • heat lightning — noun Date: 1810 vivid and extensive flashes of electric light without thunder seen near the horizon especially at the close of a hot day and ascribed to far off lightning reflected by high clouds …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • heat lightning — noun (U) especially AmE lightning 1 (1) without thunder or rain …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • heat lightning — /hit ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ (say heet luytning) noun sheet lightning without thunder near the horizon on summer evenings, coming from a distant storm …  

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lightning arrester — 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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