searchlight

noun

search·​light ˈsərch-ˌlīt How to pronounce searchlight (audio)
: an apparatus for projecting a powerful beam of light
also : a beam of light projected by it

Examples of searchlight in a Sentence

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.
How that searchlight appeared way out in the distance, out in the South China Sea, turning in their direction from an American ship. Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 1 July 2024 With the flip of a switch, guests can turn on a searchlight that casts geometric shapes and animals across the room, immersing themselves in their very own light projection show. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 8 Oct. 2024 The larger the searchlight, the larger the circumference of the unknown. Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024 When night fell, Greek helicopters lit up the Evros’s banks with searchlights. Alex Clapp, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2020 See all Example Sentences for searchlight 

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of searchlight was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near searchlight

Cite this Entry

“Searchlight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/searchlight. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

searchlight

noun
search·​light ˈsərch-ˌlīt How to pronounce searchlight (audio)
: a device for casting a beam of light
also : a beam of light cast by it

More from Merriam-Webster on searchlight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!