arc light
noun
Also arc lamp.
a lamp in which the light source is a high-intensity electric arc either between carbon rods in air or between metal electrodes in a xenon gas atmosphere enclosed in a quartz bulb.
the light produced by such a lamp.
Compare
carbon arc,
xenon arc.
Origin of arc light
An Americanism dating back to 1875–80
Words nearby arc light
arc cotangent,
arc csc,
arc de triomphe,
arc furnace,
arc lamp,
arc light,
arc of lowitz,
arc sec,
arc secant,
arc second,
arc sine
British Dictionary definitions for arc lamp
arc light
noun
a light source in which an arc between two electrodes, usually carbon, produces intense white illumination
Also called: arc lamp
Scientific definitions for arc lamp
arc lamp
An electric light in which a current produces light when an arc traverses the gap between two incandescent electrodes in a container filled with a gas, such as xenon. The two electrodes are usually made of carbon and are eventually vaporized by the heat they generate. Arc lamps are used to produce intense light (as in spotlights) and to produce heat for welding.