red-light

1 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly red light
: relating to or being an area with many brothels or sex workers
Just inside the entrance to "Picasso Érotique," the exhibition's designer has recreated an imagined bordello bedroom as one might have existed in the red-light district of Barcelona in the era of Picasso's youth.Arthur C. Danto
In the beginning, entertainment ran more along the lines of saloons, card games and red light activities.Jennifer Houghton

red light

2 of 2

noun

: a warning signal
especially : a red traffic signal

Examples of red-light in a Sentence

Noun the reporter took her glower as a red light and stopped asking questions
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
This was a turnabout for a commander who, Payne notes, previously endorsed the quiet regulation of red-light areas patronized by U.S. soldiers during the Mexican border war of 1916. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 Shop the best at-home red-light therapy devices What is LED light therapy? Amy Wilkinson, SELF, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
This trending red light therapy device is the latest launch from Therabody and a Glamour-editor favorite fitness gadget (including our editor in chief Samantha Barry). Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 6 Dec. 2024 This segues to another one of the niche’s anti-inflammatory technologies: LED face masks, or red light therapy. Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for red-light 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1894, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red-light was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near red-light

Cite this Entry

“Red-light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-light. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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