strobe light
6
3.7
- noun
- /ˈstroʊb laɪt/
- Specialized
:
luz estroboscópica
- Under the flickering red strobe light, the women looked made of plastic.
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.
- 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
19
6.3
A light that flashes quickly to make moving things look still
14
2.0
A light that flashes to warn people, for example on ambulances or at crossings
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
A device that flashes light quickly to make a moving object look still or move slowly
How Technical
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.