▪ I. wight, n. arch.
(waɪt)
Forms: 1–5 wiht, 1, 3–5 wyht, (1 wuht), 3 (Orm.) wihht, (wiþt, wid), 3–4 whit, wiȝt(e, 4 wyȝt, wyghte, whiȝt, whyȝte, whyt, (wiȝth, wijȝt, wieth, wihct, with, weiht, weith), 4–6 wyght, wighte, wite, Sc. wycht, (8 arch.) wicht, 5 whyȝt, whiht, whyht, wyt, (whith, wyth(e, wythte), 5–6 wyte, (5–7 weight, 6 white, Sc. weycht), 4– wight.
[OE. wiht m., f., n. = OS. wiht m. thing, pl. demons (MLG. wicht m., n. thing, being, creature, demon, LG. wicht n. girl, MDu., Du. wicht little child), OHG., MHG. wiht m., n. creature, being, thing, esp. of elves and dwarfs, (G. wicht m. creature, being, infant), ON. vættr, véttr, vitr f. living creature, thing (also in idiomatic uses and phr. ekki vætta, vættki, vættr not a whit, naught, not, vettugi nothing, hvatvetna anything whatever), Goth. waiht n. (only in ni..waiht nothing), waihts f. εἶδος, πρᾶγµα (ni{ddd}waihtais or waihts nothing); ulterior connexions uncertain. For compounds in English see aught n.2, naught, nought, unwight.]
† 1. A living being in general; a creature. Obs.
| Beowulf 120 Wiht unhælo, grim and grædiᵹ. c 888 ælfred Boeth. xvi. §2 Nanre wuht lichoma ne beoð þonne tederra þonne þæs monnes. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 224 Swa lange swa ðu hy mid þe byrst, nan wiht yfeles þe onᵹean cymeð. c 1200 Ormin Ded. 273 Þatt nan wihht, nan enngell, nan mann,..Ne mihhte þurrh himm sellfenn þa Seffne godnessess shæwenn O mannkinn. c 1200 Moral Ode 78 (Trin. Coll. MS.) He wot hwat þencheð and hwat doð alle quike wihte. c 1205 Lay. 25869 Whæt ært þu fære whit? eært þu angel? eært cnih? c 1250 Owl & Night. 87 Snailes mus & fule wiȝte [v.r. wihte]. 13.. Northern Passion (1913) I. 151 A neddir rampande, a lothely wyghte. 14.. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 43/20 God saue þis place fro alle oþer wykked wytes Boþe be dayes & be nytes! c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 2416 Bestes of þe se and othir wyght. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 142 Vnto man, beast & euerye liuinge wite. 1586 B. Young Guazzo's Civ. Conv. iv. 177 Man is the onelie white whereat infinit..infortunes doe ayme at. 1587 Golding De Mornay ii. 15 We reduce..All men vnder the terme of Wight; all wights vnder the terme of liuing things. |
b. orig. and chiefly with (good or bad) epithet, applied to supernatural, preternatural, or unearthly beings. Obs. or rare arch.
In the 17th c. esp. of the four beasts of the Apocalypse.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark vi. 49 Phantasma, yfel wiht. 971 Blickl. Hom. 31 Þæt manfulle wuht wolde þæt he hine weorþode. c 1000 Prayer iv. 57 (Gr.) Ᵹeluᵹon hy him æt þam ᵹeleafan, forþon hy longe sculon Werᵹe wihta wræce þrowian. c 1100 Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 108/23 Satiri, uel fauni,..uel fauni ficarii, unfæle men, wudewasan, unfæle wihtu. c 1200 Moral Ode 285 (Trin. Coll. MS.) Þat beð ateliche fiend and Eiseliche wihten Þo sulle þe wreche sowle isien þe sineȝeden þurh sihte. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2750 Þer beþ in þe eyr an hey,..As a maner gostes, wiȝtes as it be. c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 293, I crouche thee from Elues and fro wightes. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) i. iii. 4 The angel vpon my right syde and the fowle wyght vppon the other syde. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 13 The gods above And heavenly wights. a 1638 Mede Wks. (1672) 92 The Wights, the Elders, and every creature in Heaven. 1679 C. Nesse Antichrist 196 Those 4 living wights and 24 elders. 1826 W. Irving Babylon II. vi. 124 Those four wights upon the white, red, black, and pale horses. 1830 Scott Demonol. v. 147 That these were the good wights (fairies) dwelling in the court of Elfland. 1894 Morris Wood beyond World xxx. 230 Our protection against uncouth wights. |
c. A local name for the shrew-mouse.
| 1795 Statist. Acc. Scot. XIV. 317 A small species of mice, commonly called here [sc. Orkney] wights. |
2. A human being, man or woman, person. Now arch. or dial. (often implying some contempt or commiseration).
| c 1200 Ormin 1761 Unnseȝȝenndlike mare inoh Þann aniȝ wihht maȝȝ þennkenn. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 633 Wel worþe þe wid, Þad þe first taite. a 1300 K. Horn 397 (Laud) Of þat fayre wihcte Al þe halle gan licte. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1792 ‘Þat is a worde’, quod þat wyȝt, ‘þat worst is of alle’. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 39 Neuere werrede we wiþ wiȝth up-on erþe. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. ix. 4 Ȝif any wiȝt wiste, where do-wel was at Inne. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 71 He neuere yet no vileynye ne sayde In al his lyf vn to no maner wight. c 1425 Cast. Persev. 978 in Macro Plays 106 In wo & in wrake, wyckyd wytis schal wepe. c 1470 Henry Wallace xi. 395 Gret syn it war yon saikless wicht to sla. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxv. 17, I nevir wowit weycht bot ȝow. 1550 Crowley Last Trumpet 614 Thou learned man, do not disdayne, To learne at me, a symple wyght. 1567 Turberv. Epit., etc. 34 Away shee went a wofull wretched Wight. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Apr. 47 Of fayre Elisa be your siluer song, that blessed wight. 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. i. 159 She was a wight, (if euer such wightes were)..To suckle Fooles, and chronicle small Beere. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 361 The heavenly gift of God granted unto blessed and happie weights. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 613 And of it self the water flies All taste of living wight, as once it fled The lip of Tantalus. 1724 Ramsay Vision ii, Boreas branglit..like a drunken wicht. 1735 Pope Prol. Sat. 165 The Wight who reads not, and but scans and spells. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. i. i, No living wight, save the Ladye alone, Had dared to cross the threshold stone. 1867 J. Ingelow Dreams that came true xxiv, She is a broken-down, poor, friendless wight. 1869 H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey II. 308 The unlucky wight..is doomed to speedy death. |
b. Applied to a thing personified. rare. arch.
| c 1399 Chaucer Purse 1 To yow, my purse, and to noon other wight Complayn I, for ye be my lady dere. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 77 Canst thou then be so vnwise to swallowe the bayte which will breede thy bane?.. To desire the wight that will worke thy death? 1802 Wordsw. To the Daisy i. ii, Autumn, melancholy Wight! 1859 Kingsley Glaucus (ed. 4) 72 His [sc. the worm's] place has been occupied by one Sipunculus Bernhardi; a wight of low degree. |
† 3. In advb. phrases, qualified by no, any (OE. æniᵹ wiht, nán wiht), a little, or the like: (A certain) amount; for (any, a little, etc.) time or distance. (See whit n.1 1, 2.) Obs.
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. xxvii. §3 Þær hi æniᵹe wuht aᵹnes oððe ᵹecyndelices godes an heora anwealde hæfdon. 971 Blickl. Hom. 235 Andreas, ne ᵹefyrenodest þu nan wuht. c 1220 Bestiary 657 [The elephant] Fikeð and fondeð al his miȝt, ne mai he it forðen no wiȝt. a 1225 Ancr. R. 72 Hwon ȝe nede moten speken a lutewiht. a 1300 St. Gregory 703 in Herrig Archiv LVII. 66 A litel wiȝt after þe none. Ibid. 1152 Ich wene on lyue nys he no wiȝt. a 1300 K. Horn 503 (Camb.) He smot him a litel wiȝt & bed him beon a god kniȝt. c 1320 Cast. Love 638 Þat monnes kuynde hedde al ariht, Þat hi neore to luite ne to muche wiht. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 354 Þat we no wante no wite of worldliche fode. 13.. Seuyn Sages (W.) 293 Yif thou me lovest ani wight, Let me of him han a sight! c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iii. pr. i. (1868) 63 Whan they ben resseyuyd with-inne a whyht than ben they swete. c 1386 ― Reeve's T. 363 She was falle aslepe a lite wight. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 4701 Þo he leyde hurre doune þere to slepe a litulle whyȝt. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 472 Ector ne liked that no wight. c 1470 Henry Wallace iv. 154 Thai wyst no wyt quhar that thai suld him get. |
† b. a little wight (adj. phr.): a small. Obs.
| c 1205 Lay. 21991 Þer þis water wendeð, is an lutel wiht mære. |
▪ II. wight, a. (adv.) arch. and dial.
(waɪt)
Forms: 3–4 wiht, 3–5 wiȝt, (4 wicth, with, wiȝth, wit, Sc. vicht, vycht), 4–5 wyht(e, wiȝte, wyȝt(e, (vight), 4–6 wyght(e, wighte, Sc. wycht, 5 whight, whyght, wyt(e, whyt, white, (wygth, wyth, wythȝ, wyþtȝ, weight), 5–6 Sc. wichte, 4– wight, Sc. wicht.
[a. ON. v{iacu}gt used in phrase = in self-defence; neut. of v{iacu}gr of fighting age, skilled in arms; f. OTeut. wīg- (waig-, wig-), for other derivatives of which see wi n. Other adoptions of ON. adjs. in the neuter form are quert, scant, thwart, want.]
1. Strong and courageous, esp. in warfare; having or showing prowess; valiant, doughty, brave, bold, ‘stout’. a. of a person, esp. a warrior.
| c 1205 Lay. 777 Wihte wal-kempen on heora wiðer-winnan. Ibid. 20575 Seoue þusen monnen, ohte men and wihte. Ibid. 21359 Fif and twenti þusend whitere monnen. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 456 Mid six þousend wiȝtemen. a 1300 Cursor M. 6409 ‘Cheues þe’, he said, ‘wit man an freck And ga fight a-pon amalec’. c 1350 Will. Palerne 3293 He wist him wiȝht of dede. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints v. (Johannes) 610 In Ingland þat tym ves a knycht, In ded of armys þat ves vycht. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iii. ii. 269 Thre thousande wicht men of Iuda. c 1470 Henry Wallace v. 1057 Schyr Jhon the Grayme, with Wallace that was wycht. c 1510 Lytell Geste Robyn Hode iii. 17 Say me now wyght yonge man What is now thy name? 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 131 Of ane inuincible mynd, and a wichte weiriour. 1601 Munday & Chettle Death Robt. Earl of Huntington i. i, Where is Robin Hood, And y⊇ wight Scarlet? 1775 Hobie Noble xxiii. in Child Ballads vii. 3/1 Had he been as wight as Wallace was. 1808 Scott Marm. vi. xx, O for one hour of Wallace wight. 1858 Morris Def. Guenev. etc. 108 They ought to sing of him who was as wight As Launcelot or Wade. |
b. of actions or personal attributes.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 10516 Knyght Þat losed was of dedes wyght. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints iii. (Andreas) 542 For warldis wa oþir is licht, And may be tholit with hart wycht. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1098 The worde of your werkes & your wight dedis..passes o fer! 1500–20 Dunbar Poems viii. 12 That many ane fo in feild hes put to flycht, In weiris wicht. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 248 Quhen Eugenie had won sa wicht a victorie. |
2. Strong, vigorous, robust, stalwart, mighty; exercising strength, energetic (passing into 3).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 9003 Sampson þat wightest was in lijf. c 1300 Havelok 344 He was fayr man, and wicth. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ix. 21 Sire worche-wel-wyth-þine-hande, a wiȝte man of strengthe. a 1400 Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. (1914) 57 In þe fermory of this religyon are moo seke þan hole, mo febyll þan wighte. c 1440 York Myst. xviii. 219 Are was I wayke, nowe am I wight. c 1440 York Myst. xviii. 219 Are was I wayke, nowe am I wight. 1486 Bk. St. Albans c j b, It is goode to make her to mewe, bot specialli it shall make her wight after hir soore aage. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) ii. 33 William wichttar wes of corss Nor Sym, and bettir knittin. a 1600 Floddan F. vii. (1664) 62 And of thy hands hardy and wight. 1726 Fleming's Fulfilling Script. (ed. 5) Table Scots Phr., Wight, strong or clever. |
† b. Powerful, forcible, violent; powerful in effect, strong. (Also absol.) Obs.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1591 In þe wyȝt-est of þe water, þe worre hade þat oþer. c 1470 Henry Wallace vi. 659 The Scottis all as swyne lyis droukyn thar, Off our wycht wyne. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 36 In wickit wedderis and wicht. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis 786 Wachting the wyne, for it was wicht. |
† c. Strong to resist force; strongly built or constructed; stout. Obs.
| c 1320 Sir Tristr. 1029 Swiche meting was neuer non made Wiþ worþli wepen wiȝt. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. clxxiii. 5404 The wardane has þat castell tane, And saw it wycht of lyme and stane. c 1440 Generydes 3634, I must haue A shippe bothe good and wight, And that it be right swift vnder a saile. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) II. 318 Though the braunches be stronge and wyght. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xxxii. 96 He toke fro me y⊇ toure and a wyght harnes. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis 930 Sayand, he wald ride furth a whyle, To seay a bow that was sumthing wicht. a 1600 Montgomerie Misc. Poems xli. 42 The freikis on feildis That wight wapins weildis. |
3. Moving briskly or rapidly; active, agile, nimble, quick; swift, fleet.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 120 Thar na horss is in this land Sa wycht, na ȝeit sa weill at hand. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 166, I is ful wight god waat as is a raa. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 298 Hem that ben delivere and wyhte. c 1430 How Good Wife taught Dau. 120 in Babees Bk. (1868) 41 Manye handis & wight Make an heuy worke light. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 527/1 Wyte, or delyvyr, or swyfte. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xxxii. 121 Sche was so wyght of fote, that no man myght Rynne with hire by a grete space. c 1480 Henryson Fox, Wolf & Cadger 233 The wolf was wicht, and wan away. 1548 Patten Exped. Scot. C vij, If Carres horse had not ben exceding good & wight his lordship had surely run him thrugh. 1586 Whitney Choice Emblems 107 Since fame is wighte of winge. 1703 Thoresby Let. to Ray Gloss. (E.D.S.), Wight, swift. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. i. xxii, Mount thee on the wightest steed. |
B. adv.
1. Actively, nimbly, energetically; quickly, rapidly, swiftly. Obs. or dial.
| 13.. Cursor M. 3836 (Gött.) Iacob lifted vp þat ston ful wight. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 103 Cables þay fasten, Wiȝt at þe wyndas weȝen her ankres. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1762 Wiȝt wallande Ioye warmed his hert. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxii. 264 Sithen we fled away full wight. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 341 The rest of airchouris schott far and wight. 1787 W. Taylor Scots Poems 65 Down the brae I gaed fu' wight. |
† 2. Quickly, without delay, directly, immediately. Obs.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 617, I schal wynne yow wyȝt of water a lyttel. c 1430 Hymns Virgin (1867) 49 Euerlastynge ȝatis, openeþ wight! c 1485 Digby Myst. iii. 227 My lord, it xall be done ful wygth. 1606 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iv. Magnificence 726 Their winged words th' effect ensues as wight. |
C. Comb. † wight-rider, a stout and active horseman; a mounted raider; so † wight-riding a. (see also quot. 1894); wight-wapping a. [wap v.1], moving rapidly, or characterized by such movement.
| 1569 in Strype Ann. Ref. (1709) I. lv. 556 ‘About the Queen’, say good-fellows, *Wight-riders and Robbers in the Borders of the two Realms. 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Vn rodeur ou coureur, a roder or wigh[t]rider. |
| 1575 Laneham Lett. (1871) 22 Too the number of a sixteen *wight riding men. 1894 Northumb. Gloss., Wight-riding, of the upper class. (Obs.) |
| 1830 Scott Ayrshire Trag. i. 1, The weaver shall find room At the *wight-wapping loom. |
Hence † wightlayke a. [? -like influenced by -laik], quick, immediate (cf. B. 2 above); † wightling [-ling1 1], a valiant man, a brave warrior; † wightship, valour, bravery.
| c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun (1888) 144 *Wightlayke delyvrenesse with out ony tarditee. |
| c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 8093 Galathin com swiþe flinge Wiþ þre þousand *wiȝtling. |
| Ibid. 7653 Of *wiȝtschippe & cheualrie. |
▪ III. wight
obs. f. weight, white, with; var. wite Obs., blame; pa. tense of wecche Obs.