Word Meanings - DARKNESS - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. The absence of light; blackness; obscurity; gloom. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. Gen. i. 2. 2. A state of privacy; secrecy. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light. Matt. x. 27. 3. A state of ignorance or

Additional info about word: DARKNESS

1. The absence of light; blackness; obscurity; gloom. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. Gen. i. 2. 2. A state of privacy; secrecy. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light. Matt. x. 27. 3. A state of ignorance or error, especially on moral or religious subjects; hence, wickedness; impurity. Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John. iii. 19. Pursue these sons of darkness: drive them out From all heaven's bounds. Milton. 4. Want of clearness or perspicuity; obscurity; as, the darkness of a subject, or of a discussion. 5. A state of distress or trouble. A day of clouds and of thick darkness. Joel. ii. 2. Prince of darkness, the Devil; Satan. "In the power of the Prince of darkness." Locke. Syn. -- Darkness, Dimness, Obscurity, Gloom. Darkness arises from a total, and dimness from a partial, want of light. A thing is obscure when so overclouded or covered as not to be easily perceived. As tha shade or obscurity increases, it deepens into gloom. What is dark is hidden from view; what is obscure is difficult to perceive or penetrate; the eye becomes dim with age; an impending storm fills the atmosphere with gloom. When taken figuratively, these words have a like use; as, the darkness of ignorance; dimness of discernment; obscurity of reasoning; gloom of superstition.

Related words: (words related to DARKNESS)

• STATESMANLIKE
  Having the manner or wisdom of statesmen; becoming a statesman.
• LIGHT
  licht, OHG. lioht, Goth. liuhap, Icel. lj, L. lux light, lucere to 1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous. Note: Light was regarded formerly
• STATEHOOD
  The condition of being a State; as, a territory seeking Statehood.
• ABSENCE
  1. A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship; -- opposed to presence. Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Phil. ii. 12. 2. Want; destitution; withdrawal. "In the absence of conventional law."
• DARKNESS
  1. The absence of light; blackness; obscurity; gloom. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. Gen. i. 2. 2. A state of privacy; secrecy. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light. Matt. x. 27. 3. A state of ignorance or
• GLOOMY
  1. Imperfectly illuminated; dismal through obscurity or darkness; dusky; dim; clouded; as, the cavern was gloomy. "Though hid in gloomiest shade." Milton. 2. Affected with, or expressing, gloom; melancholy; dejected; as, a gloomy temper
• LIGHTSOME
  1. Having light; lighted; not dark or gloomy; bright. White walls make rooms more lightsome than black. Bacon. 2. Gay; airy; cheering; exhilarating. That lightsome affection of joy. Hooker. -- Light"some*ly, adv. -- Light"some*ness, n. Happiness
• LIGHTNESS
  The state, condition, or quality, of being light or not heavy; buoyancy; levity; fickleness; delicacy; grace. Syn. -- Levity; volatility; instability; inconstancy; unsteadiness; giddiness; flightiness; airiness; gayety; liveliness; agility;
• LIGHT-ARMED
  Armed with light weapons or accouterments.
• LIGHTERAGE
  1. The price paid for conveyance of goods on a lighter. 2. The act of unloading into a lighter, or of conveying by a lighter.
• SECRECY
  1. The state or quality of being hidden; as, his movements were detected in spite of their secrecy. The Lady Anne, Whom the king hath in secrecy long married. Shak. 2. That which is concealed; a secret. Shak. 3. Seclusion; privacy; retirement.
• LIGHT-O'-LOVE
  1. An old tune of a dance, the name of which made it a proverbial expression of levity, especially in love matters. Nares. "Best sing it to the tune of light-o'-love." Shak. 2. Hence: A light or wanton woman. Beau. & Fl.
• STATE SOCIALISM
  A form of socialism, esp. advocated in Germany, which, while retaining the right of private property and the institution of the family and other features of the present form of the state, would intervene by various measures intended to
• LIGHT-FOOT; LIGHT-FOOTED
  Having a light, springy step; nimble in running or dancing; active; as, light-foot Iris. Tennyson.
• LIGHTHOUSE
  A tower or other building with a powerful light at top, erected at the entrance of a port, or at some important point on a coast, to serve as a guide to mariners at night; a pharos.
• STATECRAFT
  The art of conducting state affairs; state management; statesmanship.
• STATESWOMAN
  A woman concerned in public affairs. A rare stateswoman; I admire her bearing. B. Jonson.
• SPEAKERSHIP
  The office of speaker; as, the speakership of the House of Representatives.
• STATESMANLY
  Becoming a statesman.
• LIGHTWOOD
  Pine wood abounding in pitch, used for torches in the Southern United States; pine knots, dry sticks, and the like, for kindling a fire quickly or making a blaze.
• CREBRICOSTATE
  Marked with closely set ribs or ridges.
• SLIGHTNESS
  The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.
• SAGEBRUSH STATE
  Nevada; -- a nickname.
• OLD LINE STATE
  Maryland; a nickname, alluding to the fact that its northern boundary in Mason and Dixon's line.
• DELIGHTING
  Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly, adv. Jer. Taylor.
• ENSTATE
  See INSTATE
• DRUMMOND LIGHT
  A very intense light, produced by turning two streams of gas, one oxygen and the other hydrogen, or coal gas, in a state of ignition, upon a ball of lime; or a stream of oxygen gas through a flame of alcohol upon a ball or disk of lime; -- called
• KATASTATE
  A substance formed by a katabolic process; -- opposed to anastate. See Katabolic.
• BAYOU STATE
  Mississippi; -- a nickname, from its numerous bayous.
• DELIGHTLESS
  Void of delight. Thomson.
• REESTATE
  To reëstablish. Walis.
• BLACKWATER STATE
  Nebraska; -- a nickname alluding to the dark color of the water of its rivers, due to the presence of a black vegetable mold in the soil.
• ARISTATE
  Having a pointed, beardlike process, as the glumes of wheat; awned. Gray.
• BICOSTATE
  Having two principal ribs running longitudinally, as a leaf.
• SLIGHTEN
  To slight. B. Jonson.