dight

Etymology

From Middle English dighten, dihten, (also dyten, > dite), from Old English dihtan, dihtian (“to set in order; dispose; arrange; appoint; direct; compose”), from Proto-Germanic *dihtōną (“to compose; invent”), of disputed origin. Possibly from a derivative of Proto-Germanic *dīkaną (“to arrange; create; perform”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵ-, *dʰeyǵʰ- (“to knead; shape; mold; build”), influenced by Latin dictāre; or perhaps from Latin dictāre (“to dictate”) itself. See dictate; and also parallel formations in German dichten, Dutch dichten, Swedish dikta.

Pronunciation

• (US, UK) IPA^(key): /daɪt/
• Rhymes: -aɪt

Verb

dight (third-person singular simple present dights, present participle dighting, simple past and past participle dight or dighted)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To deal with, handle.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To have sexual intercourse with.
   • Geoffrey Chaucer, The Manciple's Prologue.

     Ne telleth nevere no man in youre lyf

     How that another man hath dight his wyf;

3. (obsolete, transitive) To dispose, put (in a given state or condition).
4. (obsolete, transitive) To compose, make.
   • 14^thc., Anonymous, The Chester Mystery Plays, Noah's Flood,:

     Japhet's Wife: And I will gather chippes here / To make a fyer for you in feare, / And for to dighte your dinnere / Agayne you come in.

5. (archaic, transitive) To furnish, equip.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xv, in Le Morte Darthur, book II:

     And whan balyn was wepenles he ranne in to a chamber for to seke somme wepen / and soo fro chamber to chamber / and no wepen he coude fynde / and alweyes kynge Pellam after hym / And at the last he entryd in to a chambyr that was merueillously wel dyȝte and rychely

6. (archaic, transitive) To dress, array; to adorn.
   • 1645, John Milton, L'Allegro:

     Right against the eastern gate, / Where the great sun begins his state, / Robed in flames, and amber light, / The clouds in thousand liveries dight […].

7. (archaic, transitive) To make ready, prepare.