flasher
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A light that flashes on and off: A device or signal light designed to blink intermittently, often used for warnings, indicators, or to send coded messages.
- An electrical device that automatically turns a lamp on and off: A mechanism, such as a timer or relay, used to create a flashing effect, commonly seen in advertising displays or festive decorations.
- Someone with a compulsive desire to expose the genitals: A person who suffers from exhibitionism, a psychological disorder characterized by the recurrent urge to shock or get attention by revealing their genitals to unsuspecting strangers.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Flashing Light):
- The road crew placed a flasher on the barricade to warn drivers.
- The lighthouse's flasher was visible for miles out at sea.
- Noun (Electrical Device):
- The old neon sign had a broken flasher, so the lights stayed on constantly.
- We installed a flasher unit to make the store window display more eye-catching.
- Noun (Person):
- The police arrested a flasher in the city park.
- She reported a flasher to security after he exposed himself near the subway station.
Advanced Usage
- Technical Context: In automotive systems, a "flasher" often refers to the relay that controls the turn signal and hazard lights.
- My car's turn signal stopped blinking because the flasher unit needs to be replaced.
- Legal/Judicial Context: The term is used in law enforcement and legal reports to describe a specific type of sex offender.
- The suspect was charged as a repeat flasher.
Variants and Related Words
- Flash (verb): To emit a sudden, brief burst of light or to appear suddenly.
- Flashers (noun, plural): The common term for a vehicle's hazard warning lights.
- He turned on his flashers and pulled over to the side of the road.
Synonyms
- Blinker: A light that flashes, especially a turn signal on a vehicle.
- Strobe: A device producing very short, intense flashes of light.
- Exhibitionist: A person who behaves in an extravagant way to attract attention; in a clinical sense, synonymous with the third definition of "flasher."
Related Phrases
- Hazard flashers: The flashing lights on a vehicle used to indicate a breakdown or warning.
- Always use your hazard flashers if your car is stopped in a dangerous location.
Noun
- a light that flashes on and off; used as a signal or to send messages
- an electrical device that automatically turns a lamp on and off (as for an advertising display)
- someone with a compulsive desire to expose the genitals