sidelightn.
/ˈsʌɪdlʌɪt/, U.S. /ˈsaɪdˌlaɪt/ I. (A) light at or from the side, and related uses.
1. Light coming from the side; a ray or shaft of this.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > [noun] > from a specific angle
sidelight1610
cross-light1851
1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 818 The side light that the Sunne beames cast all night long.
1673 R. Baxter Christian Directory i. 110 In the Devils army, the most must not be seen in the open light, and the Hypocrite himself must be seen, like a picture, but by a side-light and not by a direct.
1730 E. Saul Hist. & Philos. Acct. Barometer 93 These Observations..require a clear Tube of near half an Inch in Diameter, the purest Quick-Silver, and a strong Side Light to make them distinct and visible.
1834 Mag. Bot. & Gardening 2 13/2 Plants in pots ought..to be well exposed to light (not side light if possible).
1856 Times 1 Aug. 9/2 A series of small rooms for small pictures—one series having side light, the other roof light.
1935 Pop. Sci. Monthly Dec. 107/1 Make the image sharper by keeping out side light.
1988 Forestry 61 333 Small gaps in the canopy or side light from the edge of a stand play an important role in determining which species may survive.
2013 S. Kelby Digital Photogr. 124 Make sure your subject is getting side light from the window.
2. figurative.
a. to throw (a) sidelight on and variants: to help to clarify or enliven (a topic, statement, etc.) by providing additional or incidental information. Cf. to throw light on at light n.1 Phrases 1b(b).
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the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > expound, explain [verb (transitive)]
arecchec885
unloukOE
overrunOE
sutelec1000
trahtnec1000
unfolda1050
belayc1175
openc1175
onopena1200
accountc1300
undo?a1366
remenea1382
interpret1382
unwrap1387
exploitc1390
enlumine1393
declarec1400
expoundc1400
unplait?c1400
enperc1420
planea1425
clearc1440
exponec1440
to lay outc1440
to give (also carry) lightc1449
unwind1482
expose1483
reducea1500
manifest1530
explicate1531
explaina1535
unlock?1536
dilucidate1538
elucidate1538
illustrate1538
rechec1540
explicate1543
illucidate1545
enucleate1548
unsnarl1555
commonstrate1563
to lay forth1577
straighten1577
unbroid1577
untwist1577
decipherc1586
illuminate1586
enlighten1587
resolvec1592
cipher1594
eliquidate1596
to take (a person) with one1599
rivelc1600
ravel1604
unbowel1606
unmist1611
extricate1614
unbolta1616
untanglea1616
enode1623
unperplexa1631
perspicuate1634
explata1637
unravel1637
esclarea1639
clarify1642
unweave1642
detenebrate1646
dismystery1652
undecipher1654
unfork1654
unparadox1654
reflect1655
enodate1656
unmysterya1661
liquidatea1670
recognize1676
to clear upa1691
to throw sidelight on1726
to throw (also cast, shed) light on (also upon)1731
eclaircise1754
irradiate1864
unbraid1880
predigest1905
to get (something) straight1920
disambiguate1960
demystify1963
1726 J. Spence Ess. on Pope's Odyssey I. i. 32 The Noble Author's Words on that subject, may give a Side-light to what I mean in the present Case.
1809 S. Parr Char. Charles James Fox II. 612 A kind of side light is thrown upon the real views, or at least the real character of James II.
1871 B. Taylor tr. J. W. von Goethe Faust I. Notes 268 The reader..needs all the side-lights which can be thrown upon its translated forms.
1886 J. A. Symonds Catholic Reaction in Renaissance in Italy (1898) VII. x. 120 Side light may be thrown upon Sarpi's judgment..by considering [etc.].
1903 D. Butler Life & Lett. R. Leighton xiv. 517 Although these are but as disjecta membra, they are not without importance as casting side-light upon the central figure.
1991 Guardian 1 Nov. 35/2 Over and above the fruit and veg, these series are engrossing for the incidental, accidental sidelights they shed on the life of the time.
2009 New Yorker (Nexis) 11 May 76 The experiment..effectively ended the debate on flounder camouflage—and, incidentally, throws an instructive sidelight on visual processing in human beings.
b. A piece of additional or incidental information, esp. one that helps to clarify or enliven a topic; an additional remark or fact; an aside.
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society > communication > information > [noun] > incidental
sidelight1850
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > explanation, exposition > [noun] > light on a subject
lights1634
clarity1657
sidelight1850
1850 Fraser's Mag. July 53/1 He further helps out his argument by..adding, that all traditions agree in affirming that the first Babel was destroyed by a storm. The case is not made much clearer by these side-lights.
1862 J. Brown Let. 4 Feb. (1912) 193 I like so much your saying that about the breeding of my mind, and all the side-lights and sub-suggestions.
1937 ‘G. Orwell’ Road to Wigan Pier xiii. 249 In the first part of this book I illustrated, by a few brief sidelights, the kind of mess we are in.
1966 New Statesman 10 June 852/2 Along the way, in typical Burgess fashion, there are cryptographical and philological sidelights.
1993 UnixWorld Feb. 33/3 The pages on logging in mix the usual how-to instructions with remarks on the UNIX system processes involved... These sidelights are interesting and understandable, but some readers may get bored with them.
2011 J. McCurrach Unrequited Time iv. 65 An interesting sidelight to all of this was that the 1950s and 60s rural homeowners never locked anything.
3. † c. Nautical. A lantern placed in the gangway of a ship at night. Obsolete. rare.
a. A light positioned at the edge or side of something; a light used in addition to a main light.
ΚΠ
1778 London Mag. July 332/1 Last night the head dress of a celebrated lady (who sat in one of the green boxes at the Haymarket theatre) touched one of the side lights, and caught fire.
1884 Science 6 June 673/1 Mr. Smillie invented the vertical camera, and with it introduced the use of a side-light.
1917 Gas Industry Jan. 80/1 In the ordinary living room a center light and one side light are insufficient.
2000 D. Adebayo My Once upon Time (2001) ix. 209 I shook her frantically and flipped on the side light. She stirred slowly.
b. Nautical. A navigation light displayed on either side of a ship under way at night (a red light on the upper port side and a green on the upper starboard side).
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > other equipment of vessel > [noun] > external lanterns lights
poop lantern1651
pharol1660
poop-light1708
top-lantern1748
pharos1759
truck-light18..
riding lamp1825
battle-lantern1830
pilot light1846
sidelight1848
riding light1861
running light1863
position light1889
smoking-lamp1889
navigation light1909
steaming light1909
spreader light1939
fanal-
1848 Merchants' Mag. Sept. 337 The colored side lights to be visible at a distance of at least two miles on a clear dark night.
1890 Protocols Proc. Internat. Marine Conf. 1889 II. 1225 On the near approach of or to other vessels they shall have their side lights lighted ready for use.
1940 Bath (Maine) Independent 16 May 7/7 Boats in Classes 2 and 3 must have white lights forward and aft, and red and green side lights.
1986 Harbour News (Chichester Harbour Conservancy) 22 (caption) Her sternlight is visible but neither of her sidelights.
2006 S. Molony Titanic & Myst. Ship iv. 39 Even her red sidelight..could be seen from the lifeboats.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > other equipment of vessel > [noun] > external lanterns lights > light in gangway of warship
sidelight1890
1890 Cent. Dict. (at cited word) A lantern placed at the gangway of a man-of-war at night.
1910 D. W. Bone Brassbounder (1911) i. 8 The lurid side-light gleams on a small knot of well-wishers gathered at the forward gangway exchanging parting words with the local seamen of our crew.
d. Chiefly British and Irish English. A small light on either side of the front (or rear) of a motor vehicle, used to increase visibility of the vehicle in poor light when full headlights are not required, or to indicate the presence of the vehicle when parked at night. Cf. parking light n. at parking n. Compounds 2.
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society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > parts and equipment of motor vehicles > [noun] > other exterior lights
side lamp1780
brake light1853
running light1863
spotlight1875
rear lamp1884
spotlamp1900
sidelight1906
parking lamp1926
parking light1927
reversing lamp1927
stop light1930
pass light1938
pass lamp1948
stop lamp1959
parker1967
1906 Motor-Car Jrnl. 1 Dec. 879/1 A good selection of lamps..include side lights for cars or motor-buses; head lights, tail lights, [etc.].
1955 Times 16 Aug. 2/7 British motorists are singularly reluctant to use the lights of their cars—motorists abroad invariably switch on their sidelights much earlier.
1973 A. Behrend Samarai Affair xi. 108 One headlamp and both sidelights had been broken.
1995 J. Miller & M. Stacey Driving Instructor's Handbk. (ed. 8) vi. 184 Sidelights must be used when parked outside a 30 mph limit or within 10 metres of a road junction at night.
2014 Press & Jrnl. (Aberdeen) (Nexis) 22 Aug. 8 The number of people who drive in rain, mist, or near dark without their headlights on, or with just sidelights on annoys me greatly.
II. A window at or to the side. Cf. light n.1 9a.
4.
a. A window to the side of a door or another window; (now chiefly) spec. either of two narrow glass panels flanking a door. Also: a pane of glass in the side of a large window.
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society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > window or door > types of window > [noun] > side window
by-window1611
sidelighta1645
a1645 W. Laud Hist. Troubles & Tryal (1695) xxxii. 311 The Windows contain the whole Story from the Creation to the Day of Judgment: Three Lights in a Window: The two Side-Lights contain the Types..and the middle Light the Antitype.
1782 Gentleman's Mag. Oct. 481/1 If some side lights were struck out here, the altar-piece would be seen to better advantage.
1851 N. Hawthorne House of Seven Gables iv. 77 She..gazed through the dusty side-lights of the portal.
1860 G. E. Street in Archaeologia Cantiana 3 117 The tracery has quatrefoiled circles over the side-lights.
1921 Archit. Rec. June 522/1 The side lights should be composed of units of glass that are similar to the size of the central panes.
1938 Amer. Home Jan. 56/2 The carved doorway is a masterpiece with sidelights and door separated by reeded columns having Ionic capitals.
1990 D. McFarland Music Room 232 I go to the front door and look out one of the sidelights at the endlessly gray, pelting rain.
b. A window in the side of a vehicle, ship, building, etc. Also: an opening in the side of a lamp.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [noun] > communicating with outside or air > for the admission of light or air
vent-hole1577
sidelight1779
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > window or door > types of window > [noun] > other types of window
loop1393
shot-windowc1405
gable window1428
batement light1445
church window1458
shot1513
casement1538
dream-hole1559
luket1564
draw window1567
loop-window1574
loophole1591
tower-windowc1593
thorough lights1600
squinch1602
turret window1603
slit1607
close-shuts1615
gutter window1620
street lighta1625
balcony-window1635
clere-story window1679
slip1730
air-loop1758
Venetian1766
Venetian window1775
sidelight1779
lancet window1781
French casement1804
double window1819
couplet1844
spire-light1846
lancet1848
tower-light1848
triplet1849
bar-window1857
pair-light1868
nook window1878
coupled windows1881
three-light1908–9
north-light1919
storm window1933
borrowed light1934
Thermopane1941
storms1952
1779 R. Coram et al. Affidavit 30 Oct. in B. Franklin Papers (1993) XXX. 627 Captn. Landais..Raked the B. h. R. [= Bonhomme Richard] With Cross bar and grape Shot &ca. Which Killed a number of men, dismounted Sundry guns, put out the side Lights and Silenced all the 12. pounders.
1792 World 20 Oct. (advt.) A handsome Post Chariot, with side light Venetian blinds, and cream carvings, built for the hot climates.
1827 M. Faraday Chem. Manip. i. 14 One side-light should however in all cases be provided [in a laboratory].
1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. III. 2174/1 Side-light,..a plate of glass in a frame fitted to an air-port in a ship's side.
1897 Earl of Suffolk et al. Encycl. Sport I. 281/2 Sliding side-lights should be fitted, as they are the most air-tight and not liable to injury.
1922 Naut. Gaz. 26 Aug. 261/1 The steamer..keeled over to the starboard side with such a considerable list that water rushed in through some open sidelights.
2013 A. Reynolds Harvest of Time 91 Dave Giles..flicked a cigarette butt through the open sidelight of his rakish red and white vehicle.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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