lightning
n. uncountablen. a sudden, bright flash of light in the sky during a storm. It happens when electricity moves between clouds or between a cloud and the ground.
n. a powerful, visible discharge of electricity between clouds or between a cloud and the earth's surface. Often followed by the sound of thunder.
The dark sky lit up with a sudden flash of lightning.
The hikers decided to head back down the mountain as soon as they saw lightning on the horizon.
While the visual spectacle of lightning is impressive, the rapid expansion of air caused by its intense heat is what generates the sonic boom we recognize as thunder.
From light(e)n + -ing. Doublet of lightening.
Uncountable; to refer to a single occurrence, use the phrase 'a bolt of lightning' or 'a flash of lightning'.
We heard the loud lightning.We saw the bright lightning.Learners sometimes confuse 'lightning' (the light) with 'thunder' (the sound).