Dictionary.com

flashlight

[ flash-lahyt ]
/ ˈflæʃˌlaɪt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for flashlight on Thesaurus.com

noun

Also called, especially British, torch . a small, portable electric lamp powered by dry batteries, LEDs, or a tiny generator.
a light that flashes, as a lighthouse beacon.
any source of artificial light as used in flash photography.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
The Sunflower State
The Evergreen State
The Magnolia State
The Mockingbird State
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of flashlight

First recorded in 1885–90; flash + light1

Words nearby flashlight

flashgun, flashing, flashing point, flash in the pan, flash lamp, flashlight, flashlight fish, flash-lock, flash memory, flash method, flash mob
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to flashlight

light, beacon, torch, limelight, publicity, notoriety, fame, public eye, searchlight, gaslight, interest, floodlight, hurricane lamp

Example sentences from the Web for flashlight

British Dictionary definitions for flashlight

flashlight
/ (ˈflæʃˌlaɪt) /

noun

mainly US and Canadian a small portable electric lamp powered by one or more dry batteriesAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): torch
photog the brief bright light emitted by an electronic flash unitSometimes shortened to: flash
mainly US and Canadian a light that flashes, used for signalling, in a lighthouse, etc
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
See Today's Synonym