To come down from the air and land on something, like a bird landing on a branch, or to discover something by chance.
From Old English 'alihtan,' combining 'a-' (on) and 'lihtan' (to light or land). The 'light' part originally meant 'to descend' before it became associated with illumination.
The word 'alight' captures that moment perfectly—when a bird's feet just touch the branch—and it's poetic enough that poets still use it even though most people say 'land' instead.
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