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

Below, the Bay of Naples lay in moonlight, broken by the outline of the port and the glow of the shoreline. —Vic O'Sullivan, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026

The moon will be 27 percent full, the American Meteor Society reports, which means moonlight won't interfere with your shooting star spotting. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026

Verb

The non sequiturs, or seeming non sequiturs (like Carol moonlighting as a baseball umpire despite having little knowledge of baseball) abound. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026

But that weeknight dinner workhorse can also moonlight as a surprisingly effective cleaning tool. —Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 25 Feb. 2026

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

Rhymes for moonlight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

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