klieg light

noun

1. a powerful type of arc light once widely used in motion-picture studios.

klieg light

/ kliːɡ /

noun

1. an intense carbon-arc light used for illumination in producing films

Word History and Origins

Origin of klieg light¹

1925–30, Americanism; named after the brothers J. H. Kliegl (1869–1959) and Anton Kliegl (1872–1927), German-born American inventors; final l of Kliegl probably taken as initial l of light

Word History and Origins

Origin of klieg light¹

C20: named after John H. Kliegl (1869–1959) and his brother Anton (1872–1927), German-born American inventors in the field of lighting

Example Sentences

Spectacle, the klieg light of the powerful since before even the ancient Olympics, is still more than capable of blinding us to the dark.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s Oscar season once again, when the klieg lights are pointed at a number of fabulous film roles and the actors who inhabited them.

From Los Angeles Times

They were just two of the year’s departed luminaries who had worked under the klieg lights, or behind them.

From New York Times

The flip side of this argument is that Mr. Trump wins equally either way, so why not just wait and announce under the klieg lights of victory?

From Washington Times

“And living it under the glare of klieg lights on the red carpet and just imagining people thinking, ‘Well, they’re not as good as their mother, their father.’

From Washington Post