feathˈerweight noun

1. The lightest weight that may be carried by a racehorse
2. A weight category, applied esp in boxing
3. A sportsperson of the specified weight for the category (eg in professional boxing above bantamweight, junior featherweight or super bantamweight (maximum 55kg/122lb), featherweight (maximum 57kg/126lb), and super featherweight or junior lightweight (maximum 59kg/130lb))
4. Anyone of little consequence

a feather in one's cap

An achievement of which one can be proud

birds of a feather

People of similar character

feathered friend (humorous)

A bird

feather one's nest

To accumulate wealth for oneself while working for others in a position of trust

in full or high feather

Greatly elated or in high spirits

make the feathers fly

To create a turmoil or uproar

ruffle someone's feathers

To upset or offend someone

show the white feather

To show signs of cowardice, a white feather in a gamecock's tail being considered as a sign of degeneracy

tar and feather see under tar¹

you could have knocked me down with a feather

I was astounded

junior /joonˈyər/

adjective

1. Younger
2. Less advanced
3. Of lower standing
4. (of a product) smaller (and often simpler) than the standard
5. (of boxing weights) lighter than the standard for that weight

noun

1. Someone younger, less advanced, or of lower standing
2. (often with cap) the young boy in a family (US)
3. A bridge-player on the declarer's right
4. An American student in his or her third year (of four)
5. A British junior school-pupil

juniority /-i-orˈi-ti/ noun

junior bantamweight see bantamweight under bantam

junior college noun (N American)

A college offering only the first two years of a university education

junior common room or (Cambridge University) junior combination room noun

In some universities, a common room for the use of (esp undergraduate) students (cf senior common room under senior, middle common room under middle; abbrev JCR)

junior featherweight see featherweight under feather

junior flyweight see flyweight under fly

junior high school or junior high noun (N American)

A school between elementary and senior high, for 12- to 14-year-olds

junior lightweight see lightweight under light²

junior middleweight see middleweight under middle

junior miss noun

A (clothing size or range suitable for the) teenage girl or young woman

junior optime see optime

junior school noun

A school for children aged between seven and eleven years

junior service noun

The Army

junior soph noun (historical)

A second-year undergraduate at Cambridge

junior technician noun (RAF)

A rank senior to aircraftman

junior welterweight see welterweight

light² /līt/

adjective

1. Not heavy
2. Of incorrectly low weight
3. Of work, easily performed
4. Easily digested
5. Containing little fat and/or sugar, and so healthier
6. Containing little alcohol
7. Of bread, well risen
8. Not heavily armed
9. Active
10. Not heavily burdened or equipped
11. Unimportant
12. Not dense, copious or intense
13. Slight
14. Scanty
15. Gentle
16. Delicate
17. Nimble
18. Facile
19. Frivolous
20. Unheeding
21. Cheerful or lively
22. Amusing
23. Unchaste
24. Of soil, loose or sandy
25. Giddy or delirious
26. Idle
27. Worthless
28. In the state of having given birth to a child (in compar; obsolete)
29. Falling short in the number of tricks one has contracted to make (bridge)

adverb

Lightly

transitive verb (obsolete)

To make lighter

lightˈen transitive verb

To make lighter

intransitive verb

To become lighter

lightˈener noun

A cosmetic applied to the skin of the face to mask darker areas

lightˈer noun

A large open boat used in unloading and loading ships

lightˈerage noun

1. Loading, unloading and ferrying by lighters
2. The payment for such service

lightˈish adjective

lightˈly adverb

1. In a light manner
2. Slightly
3. Easily, readily, unthinkingly (Shakespeare)
4. Not improbably (archaic)
5. Promptly

transitive verb

(esp in Scots form lichtly /lihhtˈli/) to slight or make light of

lightˈness noun

lights plural noun

The lungs of an animal (as lighter than the adjoining parts)

lightˈsome adjective

Light, cheerful, lively, cheering

lightˈsomely adverb

lightˈsomeness noun

light air noun (meteorology)

A wind of force 1 on the Beaufort scale, reaching speeds of 1 to 3mph

lightˈ-armed adjective (military)

Armed in a manner suitable for activity

light breeze noun (meteorology)

A wind of force 2 on the Beaufort scale, reaching speeds of 4 to 7mph

light engine noun

One without coaches or trucks attached

lightˈerman noun

A person employed in lighterage

lightˈer-than-air adjective

Of aircraft, kept in the air by gas which is lighter than air

lightˈ-faced adjective (printing)

Of type, having thin lines

lightˈ-fingˈered adjective

1. Light or active with one's fingers
2. Inclined to steal

light flyweight see flyweight under fly

lightˈ-footed (archaic lightˈ-foot) adjective

Nimble, active

lightˈ-handˈed adjective

1. With a light, delicate, or dexterous touch
2. Having little in the hand
3. Empty-handed
4. Insufficiently manned

lightˈ-headˈed adjective

1. Giddy in the head
2. Delirious
3. Thoughtless
4. Unsteady, esp through slight drunkenness

lightˈ-headˈedly adverb

lightˈ-headˈedness noun

lightˈ-heartˈed adjective

1. Unburdened or merry of heart
2. Free from anxiety
3. Cheerful
4. Inconsiderate (archaic)

lightˈ-heartˈedly adverb

lightˈ-headˈedly adverb

lightˈ-heartˈedness noun

light heavyweight see heavyweight under heavy

lightˈ-heeled adjective

1. Swift of foot
2. Loose, unchaste (obsolete)

light horse noun

Light-armed cavalry

light horseman noun

light industry see under industry

light infantry noun

Light-armed-infantry

lightˈ-legged adjective

Swift of foot

light literature, music, etc noun

Such as calls for little mental effort

light middleweight see middleweight under middle

lightˈ-mindˈed adjective

1. Frivolous or unstable
2. Inconsiderate

lightˈ-mindˈedness noun

lightˈ-o'-love noun

1. A fickle or wanton woman
2. In Shakespeare the name of an old dance tune

light railway noun

A railway of light construction

lightˈ-spirˈited adjective

Having a cheerful spirit

light water noun

Normal water (H₂O) as opposed to heavy water (qv)

light-water reactor noun

A reactor using normal water as moderator and coolant (abbrev LWR)

lightˈweight noun

1. A weight category, applied esp in boxing
2. A sportsperson of the specified weight for the category (eg in professional boxing above featherweight, junior lightweight or super featherweight (maximum 59kg/130lb), lightˈweight (maximum 61kg/135lb), and super lightweight or junior welterweight (maximum 63.5kg/140lb))
3. A person of little importance, authority, etc
4. A light article of any kind, eg a motorcycle

adjective

1. Light in weight
2. Lacking substance, earnestness, solemnity, etc (figurative)

lightˈ-winged adjective

1. Having light wings
2. Volatile

lighten up (informal)

1. To relax, calm down
2. To become less serious, angry or otherwise emotional

make light of

To treat as being of little consequence