| lightning appearing merely as a general illumination over a broad area, usually because the path of the flash is obscured by clouds. |
| sheet lightning n. Lightning that appears as a broad sheetlike illumination of parts of a thundercloud, caused by the reflection of a lightning flash. |
sheet lightning  (shēt) Pronunciation Key
A broad, sheetlike illumination of a portion of a thundercloud, caused by an unseen, often internal or reflected lightning flash. See also heat lightning, See more at lightning. |