preflash

P3R1E1F4L1A1S1H4

noun

A flash produced in advance of the main flash when taking a picture.

Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounpreflash (plural preflashes)

plural preflashes · alternative pre-flash

  1. artsA flash produced in advance of the main flash when taking a picture.

    First, a preflash is fired to analyze exposure. Then the flash fires during the actual exposure, creating the image. During the preflash, the camera's Evaluative metering system measures the light reflected back from the subject.

    2005, Michael Guncheon, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT/EOS 350D

Origin

From pre- + flash.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

preflash. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preflash

MLA

“preflash.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preflash. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preflash,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preflash.

Source: preflash on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.