strobe

[ strohb ]

noun

1. Also called strobe light. stroboscope ( def 2a ).

adjective

1. stroboscopic.

strobe

/ strəʊb /

noun

1. short for strobe lighting stroboscope

verb

1. to give the appearance of arrested or slow motion by using intermittent illumination

strobe

/ strōb /

1. A strobe light.
2. A stroboscope.
3. A spot of higher than normal intensity in the sweep of an indicator on a scanning device, as on a radar screen, used as a reference mark for determining the position or distance of the object scanned or detected.

Word History and Origins

Origin of strobe¹

First recorded in 1940–45; shortened form

Example Sentences

Add to it pulsing strobe lights and floppy, oversized, mouthless cyclopes and you have all the makings of a nightmare trip.

From Los Angeles Times

Perhaps you’re making the neighborhood kids work for their treats by having them run a gantlet of shrieks, fog and strobe lights to get to the bowl of candy.

From Los Angeles Times

A blurry shot of Club F—, the space dense with bodies under the strobe lights.

From Los Angeles Times

“If you turn on the strobe lights on a C-17 we would see it.”

From Seattle Times

Participants in full kit first workout on treadmill climbers and other gym machines, then crawl through the maze as strobe lights, smoke and loud noises are added to disorient them.

From Seattle Times