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headlight

headlight

95 1.5
A bright lamp at the front of a car or train that lights the road ahead
  • noun
  • /ˈhɛdˌlaɪt/
translation icon : faro
  • The car's headlight illuminated the dark road as we drove home at night.
  • car headlight
  • headlight beam
  • vehicle headlight

So instead you turn on the headlights and this happens.

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Examples

  • Everybody, turn on your headlights quick!

  • Even as he was thinking it, the glare of another car's headlights startled him.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Which brings us to the broken headlight.

  • So instead you turn on the headlights and this happens.

  • You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

    Academic text (2010)
  • In Bustamonte, the police pulled over a vehicle containing six individuals for a broken headlight and license plate light.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The defendant was driving at 4:00 A.M. without headlights, for which he was stopped by the police.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Cars pulled in behind her, waiting, headlights glaring in the rear glass.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Turn the headlights off.

  • Nothing in sight but blowing papers and the occasional headlights of cars at the intersections.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

headlamp
vsheadlight
  • UK
4 3.1

A strong light at the front of a vehicle to show the road ahead

has the same meaning but uses a different common term

Antonyms

30 2.0

A red light at the back of a car that makes the car easier to see at night

How Bright

high beam
  • US
5 3.5
headlight
95 1.5
low beam
  • US
1 3.7
rear light
  • UK
1 2.1

Surface Forms

headlight singular
headlights plural

Morphology

headlight = head + light (transparent) = head + light

The compound 'head' + 'light' directly indicates a light at the front or 'head' of a vehicle; the meaning is readily inferable by learners.

Etymology

Headlight is a simple compound made of head meaning 'front' and light meaning 'light'. So a headlight is the lamp on the front of a car or train that shines forward to light the road ahead.