limelight

[ lahym-lahyt ]

noun

1. Theater.
   1. (formerly) a lighting unit for spotlighting the front of the stage, producing illumination by means of a flame of mixed gases directed at a cylinder of lime and having a special lens for concentrating the light in a strong beam.
   2. the light so produced.
   3. Chiefly British. a lighting unit, especially a spotlight.
2. the center of public attention, interest, observation, or notoriety:

   He seems fond of the limelight.

limelight

/ ˈlaɪmˌlaɪt /

noun

1. the limelight
   a position of public attention or notice (esp in the phrase in the limelight )
2. 1. a type of lamp, formerly used in stage lighting, in which light is produced by heating lime to white heat
   2. Also calledcalcium light brilliant white light produced in this way

Derived Forms

• ˈlimeˌlighter, noun

Other Words From

• limelighter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of limelight¹

First recorded in 1820–30; lime ² + light ¹

Example Sentences

Trump often soured on appointees who seemed drawn to the limelight during his first term, and even the warmest of relationships could go bad.

From BBC

“Precise and circumspect, with an avuncular demeanor and an authoritative voice .... Summerall indulged his partner’s many appetites and asides, even when that meant being elbowed aside at the mike and in the limelight.”

From Los Angeles Times

Though Biden stayed largely out of the limelight during the fall campaign, his occasional forays were sometimes marked with gaffes that provided unwanted headlines for the Harris campaign — evidence, some Democrats say, that Biden is wrong in his theory.

From Salon

“What better way to capture the limelight than to be the hero in another ‘attempted assassination’?” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Amy Lee, the lead singer of the American rock band Evanescence, gets some limelight from Halsey too.

From Salon

Related Words

• glare
• prominence
• public eye
• spotlight