Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

catchlight

noun
plural -s

Definition of catchlight 

: a small spot of light reflected from a shiny surface (as from an eye in portraiture or from metal or glass in photography)

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about catchlight

Share catchlight

Resources for catchlight

Cite Time Traveler Time Traveler! Explore the year a word first appeared

Dictionary Entries near catchlight

catching

catching bargain

catch-letter

catchlight

catch line

catchman

catchment

Statistics for catchlight

Look-up Popularity

Comments on catchlight

What made you want to look up catchlight? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

milieu

the setting in which something occurs

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Musical Words Quiz

  • gramophone
  • Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games