lightning

lightning

I

light‧ning¹ /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ noun [uncountable]1. a powerful flash of light in the sky caused by electricity and usually followed by thunder:
    Two farmworkers were struck by lightning (=hit by lightning).
    Lightning flashed overhead.
2. like lightning extremely quickly:
    Mitch moved like lightning and caught the little girl before she fell.
3. lightning never strikes twice something bad or unpleasant is not likely to happen to the same people or in the same place twice
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ phrases
   ▪ a flash of lightning/a lightning flash (=a sudden light from lightning) Suddenly there was a flash of lightning and a roll of thunder. | A series of lightning flashes crackled overhead.
   ▪ a bolt of lightning/a lightning bolt (=lightning that appears as a long white line) The tree was struck by a lightning bolt.
   ▪ a lightning strike (=an occasion when lightning hits something) A lightning strike sent a surge through the electricity supply system.
   ▪ a lightning storm A lightning storm lit up the night sky.
   ▪ thunder and lightning After a few minutes, the thunder and lightning moved further away.
■ verbs
   ▪ lightning flashes Lightning flashed in the sky, and there was a loud crash of thunder.
   ▪ lightning hits/strikes something The house had been hit by lightning.
   ▪ lightning lights (up) something Lightning lit up the room briefly.
■ adjectives
   ▪ forked lightning (=lightning that appears as lines connected to each other) Forked lightning spread across the sky.
   ▪ sheet lightning (=lightning that appears as a sudden flash of brightness covering a large area of sky) Thunder rumbled and sheet lightning flashed ominously among the clouds.

II

lightning² adjective [only before noun]
very fast, and often without warning:
    a lightning attack
    at/with lightning speed (=extremely quickly)