Plain English Meaning

Strong, focused lights that throw a long, narrow beam to light up something far away in the dark.

Full Definition

High-intensity beam lights used to illuminate distant objects or areas at night. In aviation contexts, the term refers both to ground-based searchlights that may appear in a pilot's field of view at night and to the bright, narrow-beam lights occasionally found on aircraft for spotting terrain, water, or surfaces during night operations.

Context Anchor

Seen in night vision discussions, especially when learning what outside lights can disturb a pilot’s dark-adjusted vision.