moonlight

American  

[moon-lahyt] / ˈmunˌlaɪt /

noun

1. the light of the moon.

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adjective

1. pertaining to moonlight.

2. illuminated by moonlight.

3. occurring by moonlight, or at night.

verb (used without object)

moonlighted, moonlighting

1. to work at an additional job after one's regular, full-time employment, as at night.

moonlight British  

/ ˈmuːnˌlaɪt /

noun

1. Also called: moonshine.  light from the sun received on earth after reflection by the moon

2. (modifier) illuminated by the moon

   a moonlight walk

3. short for moonlight flit

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verb

1. informal (intr) to work at a secondary job, esp at night, and often illegitimately

Other Word Forms

• moonlighter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of moonlight

1325–75; 1950–55 moonlight for def. 5; Middle English monelight

Explanation

Moonlight is literally the light we can see shining from the moon, but to moonlight is to work a second job. Get it? You have to work in the moonlight because there aren’t enough hours in the day. Moonlight is the reflection of the sun off the moon's surface — a clear sky and a full moon provide brilliant moonlight. Smugglers hate moonlight. If you moonlight, you work a second job, and it doesn’t have to be at night. If your history teacher also works as a mascot for a baseball team, he moonlights as a dancing bear. As a verb, it used to mean “commit crimes at night,” but now just means “to work a second job.”

Example Sentences

The audience rehashed its hunches, they circled potential suspects, they stared at a static image of a horrific crime scene, awash in twinkling moonlight.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Doctors can now moonlight as data-labelers, earning $170 an hour and working a minimum of 20 hours a week in a six-week contract.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

But as the peak is just after the new Moon on 21 October, a viewing window may be possible for some when the cloud breaks with no moonlight pollution.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025

That's why moonlight looks bluish, when it's actually the same color as sunlight.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2025

Faint moonlight glowed through the muslin curtains at the open window near the foot of the bed.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu