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Webster 1913 Edition
benight
be-night′
(bē̍-nīt′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Benighted
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Benighting
.] 1.
To involve in darkness; to shroud with the shades of night; to obscure.
[Archaic]
The clouds
benight
the sky. Garth.
2.
To overtake with night or darkness, especially before the end of a day’s journey or task.
Some virgin, sure, . . .
benighted
in these woods. Milton.
3.
To involve in moral darkness, or ignorance; to debar from intellectual light.
Shall we to men
The lamp of life deny ?
benighted
The lamp of life deny ?
Heber.
Webster 1828 Edition
Benight
BENI'GHT
,Verb.
T.
The clouds benight the sky.
1.
To overtake with night; as a benighted traveler.2.
To involve in moral darkness, or ignorance; to debar from intellectual light; as benighted nations, or heathen.Definition 2024
benight
benight
English
Verb
benight (third-person singular simple present benights, present participle benighting, simple past and past participle benighted)
- (archaic) (transitive) To overtake with night.
- (archaic) (transitive, of a traveller etc) To be caught out by oncoming night before reaching one's destination
- (archaic) (transitive) To darken
- 1922 A. E. Housman, Last Poems XXV, lines 13-14
- The King with half the East at heel is marched from lands of morning;
- Their fighters drink the rivers up, their shafts benight the air.
- 1922 A. E. Housman, Last Poems XXV, lines 13-14
Translations
To overtake with night
To be caught out by oncoming night before reaching one's destination
Derived terms
References
- OED 2nd edition 1989