Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A focus of public attention.
- n. An early type of stage light in which lime was heated to incandescence producing brilliant illumination.
- n. The brilliant white light so produced. Also called calcium light.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Same as calcium light (which see, under calcium).
Wiktionary
- n. A type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls, producing a bright light by the use of incandescent quicklime.
- n. by extension Attention, notice, a starring or central role, present fame.
GNU Webster's 1913
- An intense light produced by heating lime. See Calcium light under calcium.
- n. (Theat.) That part of the stage upon which the limelight is cast, usually where the most important action is progressing or where the leading player or players are placed and upon which the attention of the spectators is therefore concentrated. a conspicuous position before the public; the center of public attention; -- used mostly in the phrase in the limelight.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a lamp consisting of a flame directed at a cylinder of lime with a lens to concentrate the light; formerly used for stage lighting
- n. a focus of public attention
Etymologies
- lime + light (Wiktionary)
Examples
“The plan that has been labeled "socialist" ever since Joe the Plumber stepped into the limelight is the inevitable consequence when the federal government has spent itself into the ground.”
“Well he is trying to steal the environmental limelight from the Copenhagen conference in announcing his £20bn initiative to basically get people back to work and off the doll, oh but it is environmentally friendly too.”
Summit is not right with this Copenhagen Summit « My Liberal Democrat Political Ramblings…
“Hillary's idea, not approved by the President, in order to reccuperate limelight from the opaque secretary of state performance of Hillary.”
Kim Jong Il pardons and orders release of 2 U.S. journalists
“I still remember the reaction from many of my liberal confederates who thought she would slip from view once the limelight from the campaign dimmed, but it was clear to me that she had found a foothold and a table at which she could roll her dice.”
“But even the Macedonian can't steal the limelight from the Greek striker Gekas, who has embarked on one of his demented goal-runs again.”
The Guardian: Eintracht Frankfurt's cold-blooded killer makes light work of latest prey
“Q: When a writer continues a well-loved series with the next generation, the strong, compelling ‘old’ characters can steal the limelight from the new ones.”
Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » INTERVIEW: Jacqueline Carey, Part 1
“One seeking to grab the limelight is Markos Kyprianou, the EU health commissioner who has told the Financial Times that "Europe's" public healthcare systems must brace for radical change as barriers to patients crossing borders to seek treatment drop.”
“Yes, he's set to make a film about the religion that everyone in the limelight is shouting about, and if the source material is anything to go by then this just might be something more than a fad exploiting movie.”
“There's no way in the world you can take away the limelight from a great player like that.”
“One program busting into the limelight is Michigan State, despite the departure of coach”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘limelight’.
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Yazhinni Spelling bee
tongue, stallion, scruple, salinity, schedule, rouge, populist, Permian, perspire, pasteurize, multitude, mournful and 227 more...
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Genes
Interesting gene names. Some of these may have changed recently (to something less offensive/funny).
http://www.genenames.org/
tinman, agnostic, dreadlocks, Van Gogh, fruitless, lava lamp, ariadne, cheap date, ken and barbie, I'm not dead yet, I'm not dead yet 2, manic fringe and 1192 more... -
More Light!
light, lamp, Betty lamp, lightbulb, floor lamp, lantern, candle, gas mantle, Davy lamp, Geordie lamp, limelight, spotlight and 50 more...
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Not quite love
prolix, pleonastic, senescence, autochthonous, loup, pronk, onomatopoeia, magisterial, rixatrix, esurient, blowsabella, crapulence and 69 more...
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Cool Words
Words I like and think are cool.
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♥
ambrosia, inamorata, gossamer, lily-white, hummingbird, roucoulement, poppy, daisy, calypso, lunula, lamb, dove and 1526 more...
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Things from my memory
nigger baby, mexican jumping bean, puddle jumper, mood ring, pet rock, cat scratch fever, taxman, hippie, vaseline, argyrol, mercurchrome, methiolade and 655 more...
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SoSheShall's list
slurp, coeur, slurple, glop, perp, fluarxx, ropechno, herrherr, burrduhherrherr, sloppy, cheezie balls, eccentric and 634 more...
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Wordie Working Overtime - some words ...
Some words of from XTC songs that I like or for some reason stand out. That and a dollar will get you a ride on the bus.
transistor, impaled, settee, sunspecs, neon, meccanic, infatuation, greenhouse, capers, consequence, excepted, helicopter and 112 more...
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my dictionary
able, abnormally, abroad, absent, abstract, acceptable, acceptance, access, accessible, accession, according to, account and 4551 more...
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A Dalliance of Dahlias
For more flower fun, see these lists:
Rose words by mollusque
Rose varieties by mollusque
Tulip Names I
Tulip Names II: You Know My Name
A Myriad of Iriia la mode, ace o' hearts, acclimation, adhesion, admirable, adorable you, advance, affirmed, after glow, agricola, alabama melody, alabaster queen and 1152 more...
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Rocketeer's Words
defenestrate, shutterbug, antique, periscope, dogma, peculiar, eccentric, banana, apple, pear, cherry, photograph and 189 more...
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naming the rainbow
rose madder, china white, sepia, incarnadine, lily white, cerulean, crimson, ivory, celadon, mocha, gunmetal gray, lazuline and 86 more...
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Zimbabwoe
A list of words and terminology culled from the media in relation to the political situation in Zimbabwe. List commenced April 2008.
election, poverty, hyperinflation, tsvangirai, mdc, mugabe, zanu pf, activist, stalemate, behind-the-scenes, arrest, election result and 86 more...
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Shades of eyeshadow
sea glass, irish mist, silver lining, cinnamon spice, creme de cocoa, turquoise jewel, sapphire ice, meringue blush, aubergine queen, moonlit lilac, violet mist, artic glow and 36 more...
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Unidentified Flying Words
Random Encounters With Words
bemoan, hold off, skittery, conducive, vignette, ditsy, inkling, ephemeron, tailgate, extenuating, shindig, abolitionist and 32 more...
Tweets
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