Meanings
plural headlamps
- An individual headlight, particularly of a motor vehicle.
The automobile headlamp uses either a parabolic reflector or a slight modification of it to obtain a concentrated light beam.
1940, Ralph A. Richardson, Optics and Wheels, General Motors Corporation, p. 131 more example
With its long tapered cowcatcher, massive headlamp and enormous diamond smokestack behind, wagon-top boiler, high running-plate above the driving-wheels reached from a front door in the square side-window cab, cylinders with slide valves mounted on top, and double bogie tender, General in its present form is typical of much earlier American locomotive practice.
1942 February, “Notes and News: An Historic American Locomotive”, in Railway Magazine, page 56 - A flashlight worn on the head.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna powerful light with reflector; attached to the front of an automobile or locomotive
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic ضَوْءٌ أَمَامِيّ
- ضَوْءٌ أَمَامِيّ (ḍawʔun ʔamāmiyy)headlight
Chinese Mandarin 前燈 /前灯
- 前燈 /前灯 (qiándēng)headlight
Czech světlomet, čelovka
- světlometheadlight
- čelovkaflashlight worn on head
Finnish ajovalaisin, otsalamppu
- ajovalaisinheadlight
- otsalamppuflashlight worn on head
French phare
- phareheadlight
German Scheinwerfer, Stirnlampe
- Scheinwerferheadlight
- Stirnlampeflashlight worn on head
Hungarian fényszóró
- fényszóróheadlight
Irish ceannlampa
- ceannlampaheadlight
Italian fanale
- fanaleheadlight
Japanese 前照灯, ヘッドライト
- 前照灯 (zenshōdō)headlight
- ヘッドライト (heddoraito)headlight
Korean 전조등
- 전조등 (jeonjodeung)headlight
Norwegian Bokmål hovedlykt
- hovedlyktheadlight
Polish przedni reflektor, czołówka
- przedni reflektorheadlight
- czołówkaflashlight worn on head
- latarka czołowaflashlight worn on head
- lampa czołowaflashlight worn on head
Portuguese farol
- farolheadlight
Russian фа́ра
- фа́ра (fára)headlight
Scottish Gaelic prìomh-sholas
- prìomh-sholasheadlight
Swedish framlykta, pannlampa
- framlyktaheadlight
- pannlampaflashlight worn on head
Ukrainian фа́ра
- фа́ра (fára)headlight
Vietnamese đèn pha
- đèn phaheadlight
Welsh golau blaen, priflamp
- golau blaenheadlight
- priflampheadlight
- golau penflashlight worn on head
Cite this entry
headlamp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headlamp
“headlamp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headlamp. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “headlamp,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headlamp.
Source: headlamp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.