cold light

American

noun

light emitted by a source that is not incandescent, as from a firefly.

cold light British

noun

light emitted at low temperatures from a source that is not incandescent, such as fluorescence, phosphorescence, bioluminescence, or triboluminescence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cold light

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That’s the way it looks in the cold light of Wednesday after President Trump’s announcement late Tuesday of a two-week cease-fire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

In the cold light of day, it can be argued England beat the teams they should have beaten anyway.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

They called on God to stop gun violence as they stood in the cold, light rain.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 29, 2023

You couldn’t have asked for better winter weather: sunny, not too cold, light breezes.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2022

The huts looked like ghosts in the cold light.

From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023