flashlight

flash-light · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    (North American) A small portable battery-powered electric lamp; called "torch" in British English.

  2. 2.

    A device that produces a brief flash of light for photography.

Forms

plural: flashlights

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    shine a flashlight — to direct the beam of a flashlight at something

Related words

See also: lamp, light, torch
Synonyms: electric torch, torch (British)

Etymology

A compound word from "flash" + "light," first used in American English in the late 19th century. The term refers to early models that could only flash briefly rather than produce continuous light.