driving beam headlamp
- noun
- UK
:
faros de carretera
- He switched on the driving beam headlamp once the road was empty, illuminating the highway ahead.
Examples
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It's illegal to use driving beam headlamps when approaching oncoming traffic, as the glare can blind other drivers.
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Modern vehicles are often equipped with driving beam headlamps for enhanced nighttime visibility on rural roads.
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The new driving beam headlamp improved visibility on dark roads.
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I installed driving beam headlamps on my car last week.
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He switched on the driving beam headlamp once the road was empty, illuminating the highway ahead.
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It's illegal to use driving beam headlamps when approaching oncoming traffic, as the glare can blind other drivers.
-
Modern vehicles are often equipped with driving beam headlamps for enhanced nighttime visibility on rural roads.
Synonyms
5
3.5
A bright headlight setting that lights far ahead for night driving
A bright car light that shines far and should be used only when no other cars are ahead
A very bright car light that can blind other drivers and is used when no cars are nearby
A strong front light on a car used when no other cars come because it can blind drivers
How Bright
- UK
- UK
Surface Forms
Morphology
A B1 learner who knows 'driving', 'beam' and 'headlamp' can compose these meanings to infer this refers to a type of headlamp that produces a beam intended for driving, so the overall concept is largely compositional. However, the precise technical constraint (a centre-focused beam that does not control glare toward other drivers and is intended only when no other vehicles are present) is specialized jargon not fully predictable from the constituents, so full understanding would likely require prior exposure or explanation.
Etymology
Driving beam headlamp comes from the simple image of a headlamp that sends a strong beam straight ahead to help a driver see the road at night. Because this bright beam can 'glare' and 'blind' other drivers, it is only used when no other cars are near, so the term describes a very powerful, centre-focused light that must be turned off for oncoming traffic.