▪ I. † ˈbenight, adv. Obs.
By night, ere night.
| 1642 Gen. Preston in Carte Coll. (1735) 120, I will not trouble your Lordship with more benight. |
▪ II. benight, v.
(bɪˈnaɪt)
[f. be- 6 + night.]
1. trans. a. pass. To be overtaken by the darkness of night (before reaching a place of shelter).
| 1560 J. Daus Sleidane's Comm. 326 The Emperour..was benighted and rode at Ancker. 1598 Hakluyt Voy. I. 112 When we lay in the fields or were benighted before we came to oure iourneis end. 1678 Bunyan Pilgr. i. (1862) 43, I am like to be benighted, for the day is almost spent. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) I. xxvii. 190 A gentleman..would rather be benighted, than put up at his house. 1839 De Quincey Recoll. Lakes Wks. 1862 II. 172 The tourists were benighted in a forest. |
b. active. To involve in the darkness of night; refl. to hide oneself in the night. rare. arch.
| 1654 Gayton Fest. Notes ii. vi. 59 She straightway dight Her robes, & did herselfe benight. a 1691 Boyle (J.) Those bright stars that did adorn our hemisphere, as those dark shades that did benight it, vanish. 1839 Bailey Festus (1848) vi, Benighting even night with its grim limbs. |
2. To involve in darkness, to darken, to cloud. Also fig., of the effect of sorrow, disappointment, etc., upon one's face, prospects, or life.
| a 1631 Donne Select. (1840) 3 As the sun does not set to any nation..God..does not set to thy soul, though he benight it with an affliction. 1651 Davenant Gondibert iii. v. xvi, Now jealousie no more benights her face. 1699 Garth Dispens. (J.) The clouds look heavy and benight the sky. Ibid. (1706) 36 Smoth'ring Fogs of Smoke benight the Fire. |
b. To involve in intellectual or moral darkness, in the ‘night’ of error or superstition.
| 1610 Healey St. Aug. City of God 414 Nor is the creature ever be nighted but when the love of the Creator forsakes him. 1692 E. Walker Epictetus' Mor. lxiii. Whose Reason's Light Is clouded o'er, whom Error doth benight. 1712 Henley Spect. No. 396 §2 These Portraitures benight the faculties. 1831 J. Wilson Unimore vi. 281 What men..call Religion, now benighting half the earth. |
3. To blind, to dazzle; to deprive of vision.
| 1621 G. Sandys Ovid's Met. ii. (1626) 26 Pale sudden feare..in so great a light, be-nights his eyes. 1651 J. C[leveland] Poems 32 This Cabinet, whose aspect would benight Critick spectators with redundant light. 1652 Benlowes Theoph. iii. lvi. 44 O're-fulgent Beams daz'd Eyes benight. |