headlight

Everyday

1. A strong light at the front of a car, bus, bike, train or other vehicle that helps the driver see the road at night and lets others see the vehicle. tree →
2. A light worn on the head (more often called a headlamp or head torch). tree →

In the lessons

In road safety lessons: cars use headlights at night and in fog and rain; cyclists need a white front light and a red back light; walkers should wear bright or reflective clothes so headlights show them up. In science, headlights show how light travels in straight lines and reflects off reflectors. In stories, «like a deer in headlights» means frozen with fear. Phrases: turn on the headlights, dip/high beam, caught in the headlights.

Examples

• The car's headlights lit up the dark road. tree →
• Turn on your headlights when it gets dark. tree →
• My reflective vest shines when headlights hit it. tree →
• Bikes need a front light, like a car's headlight. tree →
• The deer froze in the headlights. tree →
• One of the headlights is broken, so Dad is fixing it. tree →
• Drivers dip their headlights so they don't dazzle other drivers. tree →

Note

One word: headlight. Usually used in the plural for a car (headlights). «Like a deer/rabbit caught in the headlights» means too shocked to move.