▪ I. lit, n. Obs. exc. dial.
(lɪt)
Forms: 3, 7, 9 lit, 4–5 litte, 5 lyt, 7, 9 litt.
[a. ON. lit-r colour, also countenance, corresponding etymologically to OE. and early ME. wlite.]
1. A colour, dye, hue; also, a stain.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1968 In kides blod he wenten it, ðo was ðor-on an rewli lit. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. 36 Whittore then the moren mylk, with leofly lit on lere. a 1400–50 Alexander 4336 Nouthire to toly ne to taunde transmitte we na vebbis, To vermylion ne violett ne variant littis. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. v. vii. 1381 Fayr and quhyt, but ony lyt. 1768 A. Ross in Whitelaw Bk. Sc. Song (1844) 361/1 A pair o' grey hoggers weil cluikit benew, Of nae other lit but the hue of the ewe. 1832 A. Henderson Scot. Prov. 128 It's like Pathhead lit—soon on, soon aff. |
2. Dye-stuff; also, a batch of dyeing.
| 13.. Childh. Jesus 677 in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LXXIV. 336 Bot we vs hame faste nowe hye Alle oure litte thane mone we tyne. 1457 Sc. Acts Jas. II (1814) II. 49/1 It is sene speidfull, þat lit be cryit vp, and vsyt as it was wont to be. 1612 Sc. Bk. Rates in Halyburton's Ledger (1867) 321 Litt, callit orchard litt, the barrell—xii li. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 432 It is excellent litt. 1822 Hibbert Descr. Shetld. Isles 442 The Lichen tartareus yields a lit or dye, that was formerly an article of commercial notice. 1884 D. Grant Lays & Leg. North 4 The dyster..lost..a' his claith, His bowies, pots, an' lit. |
3. attrib. and Comb., as lit-pot, lit-vat (see Eng. Dial. Dict.); lit-house = dye-house 1.
| 1662 in Pitcairn Crim. Trials III. 605 [Confession] M. B. and I went in to A. Cumings litt-hows in Aulderne. |
▪ II. lit, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(lɪt)
Forms: 3–4 lite(n, 4–7 litte, 5 lytt, lytyn, 5–6 lytte, 6 litt, 9 let, 7–9 lit.
[a. ON. lita, f. lit-r: see prec.]
1. trans. To colour, dye; to stain.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 268 He liteð cruelte mid heowe of rihtwisnesse. 13.. Childh. Jesus 657 in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LXXIV. 336 Thies clathis sente he hedire to mee For to litte thayme. a 1340 Hampole Psalter lxvii. 25 Þat þi fote be littid in blode. a 1400 Burgh Laws xx. (Sc. Stat. I), Na man bot a burges sall by woll to lytt [L. ad tingendum] na clathe to mak na schere. 1496 Fysshynge w. Angle (1883) 34 The wynges of the redde cocke hakyll & of the drake lyttyd yellow. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. x. 35 New sched blude littis thair armour cleyr. 1557–8 Act 4 & 5 Phil. & Mary c. 5 §3 The Wooll [shall]..bee first dyed, litted and coulered withe the coulour blue. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. Table 107 Wooll to be littid may not be bocht, bot be Burgessis. 1683 G. Meriton Yorks. Dialogue 622 (E.D.S.), I heve some Garne to send with thee to Lit. a 1823 Beattie John o' Arnha (1826) 15 Weel dy'd and litit through and through. 1841 R. W. Hamilton Nugae Lit. 359 To let is to dye, but not in fast colours. |
2. intr. for refl. To blush deeply.
| 1801 Beattie Parings (1873) 10 (E.D.D.) Wi' this my face began to lit. 1888 D. Grant Scotch Stories 30 Her face littit scarlet. |
Hence lit, ˈlitted ppl. a., dyed.
| 1483 Cath. Angl. 219/1 Littyd, jnfectus. 1820 J. Hogg in Whitelaw Bk. Sc. Song (1844) 509/2 Wi' littit brogues an' a', lassie, Wow but ye'll be vaunty! 1860 C. Innes Scot. in Mid. Ages viii. 237 A stone of litted wool. 1897 Shetland News 28 Aug. (E.D.D.), Wi' a hap o' Sibbie 's an' my muckle blue lit froke inunder her head an' shooders. |
▪ III. lit, ppl. a.
(lɪt)
[pa. pple. of light v.2]
a. Lighted, illumined; also with up. (Also in comb., as sun-lit.)
| 1820 Shelley Cloud 39 When sunset may breathe, from the lit sea beneath, Its ardours of rest and of love. 1847 M. Howitt Ballads 62 He looks all round, 'tis drear and dim, Save in the lit-up castle yonder. 1865 Swinburne Atalanta 1928 My lit eyes Flame with the falling fire that leaves his lids Bloodless. 1922 M. A. von Arnim Enchanted April i. 17 She listened to her impetuous, odd talk and watched her lit-up face. 1936 R. Campbell Mithraic Emblems 18 My own lit heart, its rays of fire. |
b. slang. Drunk (see also quots. 1933 and 1971). Freq. const. up.
| 1914 ‘High Jinks, Jr.’ Choice Slang 14 Lit up, intoxicated. 1918 J. M. Grider War Birds (1927) 82 We walked into the vamp's house. We all got lit and had a hell of a time. 1922 Daily Mail 16 Dec. 10, I am afraid I was rather tight—certainly lit up. 1933 Amer. Speech VIII. ii. 27/1 When one has contracted the habit or is under the immediate influence of the drug, he is all lit up. 1938 G. Greene Brighton Rock iii. i. 109 If I hadn't been a bit lit this wouldn't have happened. 1939 M. Allingham Mr. Campion & Others i. ii. 37 Driving round the country with a topper over your eyes and a blanket round your neck at three o'clock in the morning... You must have been lit. 1948 Wodehouse Spring Fever xviii. 189 A lit-up Augustus Robb should, he considered, provide a spectacle which nobody ought to miss. 1949 E. Hyams Not in our Stars xvii. 220 Some of the lads a bit lit, eh? Who's this in the hedge? 1971 E. E. Landy Underground Dict. 121 Lit up,..under the influence of a narcotic. |
▪ IV. lit
obs. f. light n., a.1; pa. tense light v.1 and v.2
▪ V. lit
obs. f. lite n.1, lite v.; dial. f. lite a.