Lu·ci·fer n.
1. The planet Venus, when appearing as the morning star; -- applied in Isaiah by a metaphor to a king of Babylon.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations! --Is. xiv. 12.
Tertullian and Gregory the Great understood this passage of Isaiah in reference to the fall of Satan; in consequence of which the name Lucifer has since been applied to Satan. --Kitto.
2. Hence, Satan.
How wretched
Is that poor man that hangs on princes' favors! . . .
When he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
Never to hope again. --Shak.
3. A match1 made of a sliver of wood tipped with a combustible substance, and ignited by friction; -- called also lucifer match, and locofoco, now most commonly referred to as a friction match. See Locofoco.
4. Zool. A genus of free-swimming macruran Crustacea, having a slender body and long appendages.
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friction match
n : lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard
tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction;
"he always carries matches to light his pipe" [syn: match,
lucifer]