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Webster 1913 Edition


Wight

Wight

,
Noun.
Weight.
[Obs.]

Wight

,
Noun.
[OE.
wight
,
wiht
, a wight, a whit, AS.
wiht
,
wuht
, a creature, a thing; skin to D.
wicht
a child, OS. & OHG.
wiht
a creature, thing, G.
wicht
a creature, Icel.
vætt[GREEK]
a wight,
vætt[GREEK]
a whit, Goth.
waíhts
,
waíht
, thing; cf. Russ.
veshche
a thing. [GREEK]. Cf.
Whit
.]
1.
A whit; a bit; a jot.
[Obs.]
She was fallen asleep a little
wight
.
Chaucer.
2.
A supernatural being.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
3.
A human being; a person, either male or female; – now used chiefly in irony or burlesque, or in humorous language.
“Worst of all wightes.”
Chaucer.
Every
wight
that hath discretion.
Chaucer.
Oh, say me true if thou wert mortal
wight
.
Milton.

Wight

,
Adj.
[OE.
wight
,
wiht
, probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel.
vīgr
in fighting condition, neut.
vīgh [GREEK][GREEK][GREEK] vīg
war, akin to AS.
wīg
See
Vanquish
.]
Swift; nimble; agile; strong and active.
[Obs. or Poetic]
’T is full
wight
, God wot, as is a roe.
Chaucer.
He was so wimble and so
wight
.
Spenser.
They were Night and Day, and Day and Night,
Pilgrims
wight
with steps forthright.
Emerson.

Webster 1828 Edition


Wight

WIGHT

,
Noun.
[g., a living being. L., to live.] A being; a person. It is obsolete, except in irony or burlesque. [See Aught.]
The wight of all the world who lovd thee best.

WIGHT

,
Adj.
Swift; nimble. [This seems to be a dialectical form of quick.]

Definition 2024


Wight

Wight

See also: wight

English

Proper noun

Wight

  1. The Isle of Wight
  2. An area of the English Channel, from the southern English coast down to Normandy

wight

wight

See also: Wight

English

Noun

wight (plural wights)

  1. (archaic) A living creature, especially a human being.
  2. (paganism) A being of one of the Nine Worlds of Heathen belief, especially a nature spirit, elf or ancestor.
  3. (poetic) A ghost or other supernatural entity.
    • 1789, William Blake, A Dream, lines 14-15-16
      But I saw a glow-worm near,
      Who replied: ‘What wailing wight
      Calls the watchman of the night?
  4. (fantasy) A wraith-like creature.
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English, from Old Norse vígt, neuter of vígr (skilled in fighting, of age), cognate with Old English wīġ.[2]

Adjective

wight

  1. (archaic except in dialects) Brave, valorous, strong.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter ix, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVIII:
      I haue two sones that were but late made knyghtes / and the eldest hyghte sir Tirre / [] / and my yongest sone hyght Lauayne / and yf hit please yow / he shalle ryde with yow vnto that Iustes / and he is of his age x stronge and wyght
  2. (Britain dialectal) Strong; stout; active.

See also

References

  1. Merriam-Webster, 1974.
  2. Merriam-Webster, 1974.
  • “wight” in the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 1974 edition.

Middle English

Noun

wight (plural wightes)

  1. A person, a human being.