red light

¹

noun

1. a red lamp, used as a traffic signal to mean “stop.”
2. an order or directive to halt an action, project, etc.:

   There's a red light on all unnecessary expenses.

3. a children's running game in which players must stop when “Red light!” is called.
4. a signal of danger; warning.

red-light

²

[ red-lahyt ]

verb (used with object)

, red-light·ed, red-light·ing.

1. Informal. to stop or deter by means of or as if with a red light.

red light

noun

1. a signal to stop, esp a red traffic signal in a system of traffic lights
2. a danger signal
3. an instruction to stop or discontinue
4. 1. a red lamp in a window of or outside a house indicating that it is a brothel
   2. ( as modifier )

      a red-light district

Word History and Origins

Origin of red light¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Origin of red light²

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

While the toaster is making toast, it emits a beeping noise and a red light flashes.

From Time

All along Pennsylvania Avenue, red lights flashed on parked emergency vehicles.

From Washington Post

My mother was driving him home from an appointment one day and at a red light, he jumped out of the car and vanished, returning home hours later as though nothing were wrong.

From Ozy

“We wanted that to be true so bad that we were missing the red lights telling us that can’t be the case,” says Beth Hayes, a microbiologist in Chou’s lab.

From Science News

The rarest and most massive blue stars are so hot they ionize hydrogen gas, causing it to emit red light as electrons settle back into position around protons.

From Science News

A car parked at a red light honked its horn in rhythm with the chant as the crowd passed in front of it.

From The Daily Beast

"I'm sorry, we're going to have to run this red light," the driver said, according to Simonetti.

From The Daily Beast

In November 2012, police officers in Racine County, Wisconsin, pulled Matson over for running a flashing red light.

From The Daily Beast

And also probably because this fool stopped at a red light in the middle of an intersection.

From The Daily Beast

A block away, a car without a driver speeds through a red light and crashes into oncoming traffic.

From The Daily Beast

In a few minutes, however, a thin thread of red light was seen to curve upwards into the black sky.

From Project Gutenberg

From the wall beyond him a red light was flashing; a crystal flamed forth with the intense glare of a thousand fires.

From Project Gutenberg

The electric light darted down and converted the contents into a liquid flood of red light.

From Project Gutenberg

He could see a masthead light, her red light (with glasses), and a "glare of white lights on her afterdeck."

From Project Gutenberg

An eye of red light suddenly opened in the silver stream shows three men standing by a snowy tent.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• traffic signal