arc light
1
8.1
- noun
- /ɑrk laɪt/
- Archaic
:
luz de arco
- A thin, breast-high fog fills the lot; arc lights make yellow pools.
- blue arc light
Examples
-
A bank of arc lights is switched on, illuminating the site as the truck is lowered to the ground.
Fiction book (2002) -
But the arc light behind the bandstand was on.
Fiction book (1992) -
Down below was the hotel bus under the arc light.
Fiction book (1990) -
We would play kick the can under the arc lights in the evenings before being called in to go to bed.
Blog text (34) -
One by one, a series of arc lights switch on, forming a snake all the way to the bottom of the mountain.
Fiction book (2000) -
A few arc lights blazed in the distance.
Fiction book (1994) -
The glare from the arc lights is almost blinding.
Fiction book (1992) -
The film was shown in the dark theater, brightly illuminated by the arc light of the projector.
-
During the outdoor event, a series of arc lights were set up to ensure the area was well-lit.
-
In the early 1900s, arc lights transformed nighttime visibility in cities and towns.
Synonyms
274
1.0
Something that gives light for a room or table
1
5.3
A lamp that makes very bright light by a steady electric spark between two metal rods
1
1.7
A light that uses electricity to shine
1
6.7
A lamp that makes light when electricity passes between two metal points inside a gas
A lamp that makes light by passing electricity between two metal parts inside a glass tube
How Bright
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a lamp that produces light by an electric arc' is directly built from 'arc' (an electric discharge creating light and heat) + 'light' (brightness). Although somewhat technical and possibly dated, the noun–noun composition is fully compositional and follows standard compound formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Arc light gets its name from the bright arc—an electric spark that jumped between two metal rods—and the strong light that spark made. That's why the term means 'a lamp that makes light from an electric arc', often used in early theaters and film.