strobe light
10
3.7
- noun
- /ˈstroʊb laɪt/
- Specialized
- Under the flickering red strobe light, the women looked made of plastic.
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Watch on YouTubeI flew away one night and I told the crew, I said if you see a strobe light anywhere and we haven't found everybody, we're going to go take a look.
- I flew away one night and I told the crew, I said if you see a strobe light anywhere and we haven't found everybody, we're going to go take a look.
- They both happen at the bulb of the strobe light, which in the frame of the strobe is just one point.
Examples
-
The interior lighting was rigged for a nightclub, with strobe lights and weak bulbs dangling from the ceiling.
Fiction book (1996) -
I first noticed it at a Robert Plant concert that had strobe lights.
Blog text (14) -
Audience screaming along as strobe lights rip through the night.
Fiction book (1995) -
The light flashes off and on again, creating a strobe light effect.
Fiction book (2002) -
The strobe light flashed rapidly, creating an illusion that the dancers were frozen in time.
-
At the concert, the strobe light illuminated the stage, making the performers appear to jump in and out of visibility.
-
During the party, the strobe light created a mesmerizing effect as it pulsed to the beat of the music.
Synonyms
32
2.0
A light that flashes to warn people, for example on ambulances or at crossings
19
6.3
A light that flashes quickly to make moving things look still
2
4.0
A light that turns on and off to give a signal
1
8.2
A small light that flashes on and off
1
9.8
A device that flashes light quickly to make a moving object look still or move slowly
How Technical
- Specialized
1
9.8
- Specialized
10
3.7
1
3.5
32
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a device that emits regular, brief flashes of light' is directly and compositionally built from 'strobe' (a device producing rapid light flashes) + 'light' (brightness); the compound names the type of light produced by the strobe. This noun–noun compounding pattern is straightforward and common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun strobe light comes from devices that make very quick flashes of light: strobe means a rapid flash and light is the source. Those quick flashes can make moving things look like they 'stop', so a strobe light is used for special 'effects' or to 'alert' people during safety drills.