floodlight

1 of 2

noun

flood·​light ˈfləd-ˌlīt How to pronounce floodlight (audio)
1
a
: artificial illumination in a broad beam
b
: a source of such illumination
2
: a lighting unit for projecting a broad beam of light

floodlight

2 of 2

verb

floodlit ˈfləd-ˌlit How to pronounce floodlight (audio) also floodlighted; floodlighting

transitive verb

: to illuminate by means of one or more floodlights

Examples of floodlight in a Sentence

Noun The yard was lit by floodlights.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The top-notch floodlight camera is great for monitoring large areas thanks to its 360-degree field of view, which can pan and tilt for added flexibility. Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 27 Feb. 2024 At its max setting, the floodlight can illuminate an area over 45 feet. Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 19 Jan. 2024 But turning off the floodlights that lit the gallery for people to walk around in. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2023 Most houses are equipped with floodlights, so swapping one floodlight for another shouldn’t be complicated for a practiced electrician. Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024 When the Kauffman Center opened in 2011, staff had to tape lighting gels on each floodlight to change their colors, Miller said. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 2 Feb. 2024 Inside each cell, another tiny window offered a view of razor wire, floodlights and rocks on the prison grounds. Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 13 Dec. 2023 But race organizers have shrouded the Strip in black tarp and fencing, and covered the glass on pedestrian walkways with white film and floodlights, obscuring the festivities from those without a $1,000 ticket. Jack Healy, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Taking the stage alone in front of a stack of amps and wearing all black, backlit by green floodlights, Rossdale strummed out buzzy chords backed by a string quartet. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2024
Verb
To complete this display and give a feeling of animation, arrange a rotating color wheel and floodlight the back of translucent curtains or drapes. David M. Swartwout, Popular Mechanics, 11 Nov. 2022 Colonel Beara was specifically accused of overseeing the beheading of up to 100 men and boys, of supervising the digging of mass graves, and of floodlighting killing zones so that firing squads could conduct executions at night. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'floodlight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of floodlight was in 1922

Dictionary Entries Near floodlight

Cite this Entry

“Floodlight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodlight. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

floodlight

noun
flood·​light
-ˌlīt
1
: artificial light in a broad beam
2
: a light that gives a broad beam
floodlight verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!