footlight

American  

[foot-lahyt] / ˈfʊtˌlaɪt /

noun

1. Theater. Usually footlights. the lights light lights at the front of a stage that are nearly on a level with the feet foot of the performers.

2. the footlights, the stage; acting profession.

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Etymology

Origin of footlight

First recorded in 1830–40; foot + light ¹

Example Sentences

Once, he slipped onstage, and his foot went through a footlight bulb.

From Washington Post • Aug. 20, 2017

Charlie Calvert’s inviting set is like a miniature old theater, illuminated with footlight accents by Nancy Schertler, and Helen Q. Huang’s attractive costumes are clownish yet elegant.

From Washington Post • Mar. 6, 2017

The footlight lecture seems to be Vonnegut's forte, and the jawbone is his only weapon.

From Time Magazine Archive

Television news last week: � CBS rolled its portable television unit into Broadway's Alvin Theater, strung microphones along the footlight trough, and televised some carefully tidied-up scenes from Mister Roberts.

From Time Magazine Archive

His cap looked like a solitary green footlight.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole