searchlight

searchlight — noun

1. A bright outdoor lamp that produces a powerful, aimable beam, used at night to f

1.nounB2
Definition

A bright outdoor lamp that produces a powerful, aimable beam, used at night to find people, vehicles, or aircraft, or to guard buildings and borders.

Example

Nicholas used a searchlight to find his lost dog in the dark field.

The searchlight from the prison tower swept across the yard every few seconds.

swept across (searchlight + verb of sweeping movement)

Common collocations
  • use a searchlight
  • direct a searchlight at something
  • shine a searchlight across/over something
  • a searchlight sweeps across something
  • the beam of a searchlight
Synonyms
  • spotlight

    produces a narrower beam and is typically used indoors for performance or display purposes

  • floodlight

    illuminates a wide area with broad, even light, such as on a sports field

Usage Note

Refers to a large, powerful outdoor light that can be aimed in different directions. Do not confuse it with a flashlight (a small battery-powered portable light) or a spotlight (used in theatre for a narrow beam on a performer).

Common Mistakes

Use a searchlight to look under the sofa.
Use a flashlight to look under the sofa.
A searchlight is a large outdoor fixture, not a small portable tool.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe artificial lights, but they differ in purpose and beam shape. A searchlight produces a very strong, narrow beam that can be aimed over long distances — it is used for outdoor searching, patrolling, or guarding. A spotlight has a narrower, more focused beam and is most often used indoors to highlight a performer or speaker on a stage. A floodlight gives a broad, even wash of light over a large area, such as a football pitch, a building facade, or a parking lot, without the long-distance reach of a searchlight. For example: 'The police helicopter's searchlight found the missing hiker on the mountain.' 'A single spotlight followed the dancer across the stage.' 'The stadium floodlights stayed on until midnight after the match.'

searchlight ↗spotlight ↗floodlight

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the beam of a searchlight
  • swept by a searchlight

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchOld EnglishEnglish

A compound of 'search' (from Old French 'cerchier', meaning 'to go around examining') and 'light' (from Old English 'leoht'). The word first appeared in the late 1800s when electric arc lamps were developed for military and naval use, allowing soldiers and sailors to scan the horizon or sky for enemy movements at night.