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Glite Dictionary
forked lightning

forked lightning

6.7
A bright flash of lightning with branches that split from the main line
  • noun
  • /fɔrkəd ˈlaɪt.nɪŋ/
translation icon : rayo bifurcado
  • As the storm approached, forked lightning illuminated the night sky, creating a stunning visual display.

Examples

  • Forked lightning blazes above Los Angeles, thunder booms.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • During the thunderstorm, forked lightning struck several trees, causing them to crack and split.

  • It had been a very hot day, and as the evening advanced, a lurid black sky looked threatening behind the boat, while forked lightning played games in the heavens.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The sky was filled with forked lightning, making it clear that the storm was intensifying.

Synonyms

lightning
vsforked lightning
512 1.0

A sudden bright flash in the sky during a storm caused by electricity

is a specific branched form with multiple divisions rather than general flashes
bolt of lightning
vsforked lightning
9 2.1

A sudden bright flash in the sky during a storm that often comes before thunder

is branched and zigzagged rather than a single straight form

How Branched

forked lightning
6.7

Surface Forms

forked lightning singular
forked lightnings plural

Morphology

forked + lightning

The meaning is directly and transparently built from 'forked' (split into branches) modifying 'lightning' (a flash of electrical discharge), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes lightning with branching forks. This adjective + noun composition is literal and cross-linguistically common, making the phrase immediately comprehensible without prior exposure.

Etymology

Forked lightning gets its name from the way lightning splits into sharp branches that look like the prongs of a 'fork', making a zigzag shape in the sky. That's why the term means a kind of lightning with divided, fork-like paths.