streetlight

noun

street·​light ˈstrēt-ˌlīt How to pronounce streetlight (audio)
: a light usually mounted on a pole and constituting one of a series spaced at intervals along a public street or highway

called also streetlamp

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Clarendon Hills Hit-and-Run A driver agreed to pay for the replacement cost of a streetlight after striking it with his vehicle and knocking it over about 3:30 p.m. March 10 on the first block of South Prospect Avenue. Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2023 As McBride paced up and down a street in L.A., someone in a Jeep drove up, tied the dogs to a streetlight and took off. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2023 Like bugs to a streetlight, they’re drawn in from far off paths. Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 2 Oct. 2017 Many flit around the larger members like moths around a streetlight. Richard Talcott, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2020 Examples of how the streetlight effect sends studies off track are ubiquitous. David H. Freedman, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2010 Later that evening, Rabbi Myers stood outside the Tree of Life synagogue in the glow of a streetlight and ushered in Hanukkah with a brief candle-lighting ceremony. Kris Maher, WSJ, 24 Dec. 2022 As a result, any male blue tit--even a young and scrawny fellow--that lives within 50 feet of a streetlight gets about twice as much extramarital action, and has more offspring than male tits that live in other parts of the neighborhood. Jennifer Welsh, Discover Magazine, 17 Sep. 2010 YouTube When a streetlight ripped open the Barney balloon in 1997, police swarmed the scene and proceeded to stab the character with knives to deflate it safely. Janaya Wecker, Good Housekeeping, 14 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'streetlight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of streetlight was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near streetlight

Cite this Entry

“Streetlight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/streetlight. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

streetlight

noun
street·​light -ˌlīt How to pronounce streetlight (audio)
: a light usually on a pole that is one of a series spaced along a public road

More from Merriam-Webster on streetlight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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