strobe light

American  

[strohb lahyt] / ˈstroʊb ˌlaɪt /

noun

plural

strobe lights

1. a lamp capable of producing extremely short, brilliant bursts of light and used for various purposes, such as photographing rapidly moving objects or to create special lighting effects, as in a discotheque or at a rock concert.

2. stroboscope.

3. the light produced by such a lamp, occurring in short, brilliant bursts.

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strobe light Scientific  

1. A lamp that produces very short, intense flashes of light by means of an electric discharge in a gas. The ability of strobe lights to “freeze” the motion of rapidly moving objects by making them visible for only a fraction of a second makes them very useful in photography and in measuring vibration and other types of high-speed motion.

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Other Word Forms

• strobe lighting noun
• strobe-light adjective

Example Sentences

The flashes can also be used as a strobe light to make “movies” of molecules responding to, say, a blast of ordinary laser light.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 18, 2023

“The grand jury presents oftentimes novel issues and issues that deal with high-profile individuals, generating an enormous strobe light of press attention,” she said.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2023

In a converted former mint in Berlin on Saturday, crowds danced in a blaze of strobe light as a rapper hollered Ukrainian lyrics to punchy beats.

From Reuters • Feb. 25, 2023

Terrell Owens — yes, the 48-year-old Hall of Famer — hauled in the 30-yard pass and crossed the goal line, triggering a touchdown celebration under a flashing strobe light.

From Washington Post • Jun. 8, 2022

He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien