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safelight

American  
[seyf-lahyt] / ˈseɪfˌlaɪt /

noun

Photography.

  1. a darkroom light with a filter that transmits only those rays of the spectrum to which films, printing paper, etc., are not sensitive.

safelight British  
/ ˈseɪfˌlaɪt /

noun

  1. photog a light that can be used in a room in which photographic material is handled, transmitting only those colours to which a particular type of film, plate, or paper is relatively insensitive

"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 safelight

First recorded in 1900–05; safe + light 1

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.

I like the darkroom scene – Louis and the hot photographer lady squeezed in together under the illicit red glow of a safelight while ghosts in trays of chemical liquids slowly come to life.

From The Guardian • Feb. 5, 2013

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.