light
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Credit, trust; "to get a LIGHT at a house" is to get credit. When a man’s credit is stopped, his LIGHT is said to be put out. LIGHT also means life. "I’ll put your LIGHT out" is a murderous threat.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “light” mean?
Credit, trust; "to get a LIGHT at a house" is to get credit. When a man’s credit is stopped, his LIGHT is said to be put out. LIGHT also means life. "I’ll put your LIGHT out" is a murderous threat.
Is “light” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.