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light·er²

(lītər)

A large flatbottom barge, especially one used to deliver or unload goods to or from a cargo ship or transport goods over short distances.

tr.v. light·ered, light·er·ing, light·ers

To convey (cargo) in a lighter.

[Middle English, perhaps from lighten, to make less heavy, from Old English līhtan; see leg^wh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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