Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRIGHT, a. [brīte; Sax. beorht, briht, byrht, or bryht, clear, shining, whence beorhtnes, brightness, beorhtian, Goth. bairtiyan, to shine or be clear, or to manifest; Ar. Ch. Heb. Syr. and Eth. ברק, to shine, or more probably, Eth. በረሀ bareah, to shine, as the Eth. participle ብረህት berht or bereht, corresponds exactly with the Saxon. I have not found this word in any other Teutonic or Gothic language, and the original verb is lost in the Saxon. In Saxon, beorhthwile or brihthwile, signifies a moment, the twinkling of an eye. This directs us to the primary sense of the verb, to shine, which is, to shoot, to dart, to glance. That this is the primary sense, we have evidence from the Sax. bryhtm, which is a derivative from bryht, and which signifies a moment, that is, the time of a shoot, or darting; like glance.]

1. Shining; lucid; luminous; splendid; as, a bright sun or star; a bright metal.
2. Clear; transparent; as liquors. – Thomson.
3. Evident; clear; manifest to the mind, as light is to the eyes. The evidence of this truth is bright. – Watts.
4. Resplendent with charms; as, a bright beauty; the brightest fair. – Pope.
5. Illuminated with science; sparkling with wit; as, the brightest of men. – Pope.
6. Illustrious; glorious; as, the brightest period of a kingdom. – Cotton.
7. In popular language, ingenious; possessing an active mind.
8. Promising good or success; as, bright prospects.
9. Sparkling; animated; as, bright eyes.