This is another subject in the category of "I don't understand because English isn't my native language". And the thing I don't understand, is if a native English speaker hearing "lightning" will understand/can understand (based on context), "lightning bolt" too. And when I say "lightning bolt" I mean the thing which actually hits an unfortunate person on the head.. But first, here are some definitions/descriptions: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/lightning "a brilliant electric spark discharge in the atmosphere, occurring within a thundercloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground". https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightning "the flashing of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity also : the discharge itself". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_bolt "Lightning bolt often refers to: - Lightning strike, an electric discharge between the atmosphere and the ground. - Thunderbolt, a symbolic representation of lightning accompanied by a loud thunderclap." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_strike "A lightning strike or lightning bolt is an electric discharge between the atmosphere and the ground. Most originate in a cumulonimbus cloud and terminate on the ground, called cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. A less common type of strike, ground-to-cloud (GC) lightning, is upward propagating lightning initiated from a tall grounded object and reaching into the clouds. About 69% of all lightning events worldwide are strikes between the atmosphere and earth-bound objects. Most are intra-cloud (IC) lightning and cloud-to-cloud (CC), where discharges only occur high in the atmosphere.[1][2] Lightning strikes the average commercial aircraft at least once a year, but modern engineering and design means this is rarely a problem. The movement of aircraft through clouds can even cause lightning strikes.[3] A single lightning event is a "flash", which is a complex, multi-stage process, some parts of which are not fully understood. Most CG flashes only "strike" one physical location, referred to as a "termination". The primary conducting channel, the bright coursing light that may be seen and is called a "strike", is only about one inch in diameter, but because of its extreme brilliance, it often looks much larger to the human eye and in photographs. Lightning discharges are typically miles long, but certain types of horizontal discharges can be upwards of tens of miles in length. The entire flash lasts only a fraction of a second." And here comes the question: I want to say "One of the attributes of Zeus is the lightning bolt"; i.e. "the thing which looks like an arrow/spear made of lightning" which is held by Zeus. (Picture: https://stock.adobe.com/gr_en/search/images?k=zeus+lightning+hand) Is it enough to write: pe'bIl 'oH wa' zeus DI'on''e' one of the characteristics of zeus is the lightning Or should I necessarily write: pe'bIl tIH 'oH wa' zeus DI'on''e' one of the characteristics of zeus is the lightning ray/beam ~ Dana'an