moonlight

1 of 2

noun

moon·​light ˈmün-ˌlīt 

: the light of the moon

moonlight

2 of 2

verb

moonlighted; moonlighting

intransitive verb

: to hold a second job in addition to a regular one

moonlighter noun

Examples of moonlight in a Sentence

Noun

A figure appeared in the moonlight.

Verb

She is a secretary who moonlights as a waitress on weekends.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With no moonlight to interfere, this might turn out to be one of the best meteor displays of the year. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 2 Jan. 2025

The moon will set at approximately 6 pm in the eastern US on the 21st, so no moonlight will interfere with this meteor shower. —Gretchen Rundorff, WIRED, 2 Jan. 2025

Verb

Image Rosalynn Carter moonlighted as her daughter Amy’s hairstylist while wearing a blue-green dress by Dominic Rompollo before her husband, Jimmy Carter, was inaugurated as president in 1977. —Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025

In addition to his new gig moonlighting as a model for J. Crew, Patrick Radden Keefe is on the crime and corruption beat as a staff writer for The New Yorker. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from moonlighter

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1957, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing moonlight

• do a moonlight flit

Kids Definition

moonlight

1 of 2 noun

moon·​light -ˌlīt 

: the light of the moon

moonlight

2 of 2 verb

: to work at a second job in addition to a regular one

moonlighter noun