son et lumière

[ saw ney ly-myer ]

noun

, French.

1. sound-and-light show.

son et lumière

/ sɔ̃n e lymjɛr; ˈsɒn eɪ ˈluːmɪˌɛə /

noun

1. an entertainment staged at night at a famous building, historical site, etc, whereby the history of the location is presented by means of lighting effects, sound effects, and narration

Word History and Origins

Origin of son et lumière¹

Literally, “sound and light”

Word History and Origins

Origin of son et lumière¹

French, literally: sound and light

Example Sentences

High volatility generates more excitement—especially in a casino, where machines hitting jackpots draw attention by erupting in a spine-tingling son et lumière.

From Literature

Lighthouses create son et lumiere, sound and light; it’s their job.

From Los Angeles Times

The Parc De Princes is a great crumbling concrete lump of a stadium, but it creates a wonderful sense of son et lumiere on these big midweek nights.

From The Guardian

But, for all its son et lumière overload, at the exhibition’s centre is a genuinely remarkable collection of objects that tells a story noticeably longer than the exhibition’s sub-title – “Kraftwerk to Daft Punk” – suggests.

From The Guardian

The trend dates back centuries: to 18th-century “son et lumière” shows and fireworks spectacles with wall-like sets in Europe, according to Erkki Huhtamo, a professor in the department of design media arts at the University of California, Los Angeles.

From New York Times