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daylight

 - 4 dictionary results
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day⋅light

  [dey-lahyt] noun, adjective, verb, -light⋅ed or -lit, -light⋅ing.
Use daylight in a Sentence
–noun
1. the light of day: At the end of the tunnel they could see daylight.
2. public knowledge or awareness; openness: The newspaper article brought the scandal out into the daylight.
3. the period of day; daytime.
4. daybreak; dawn.
5. a clear space between any two parts that should be close together, as between the jambs of the opening of a doorway or the knees of a horseback rider and a saddle.
6. daylights, mental soundness; consciousness; wits: The noise scared the daylights out of us.
–adjective
7. Photography. of, pertaining to, or being film made for exposure by the natural light of day.
–verb (used with object)
8. to suffuse (an interior space) with artificial light or with daylight filtered through translucent materials, as roofing panels.
—Idiom
9. see daylight, to progress to a point where completion of a difficult task seems possible or probable.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME; see day, light 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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day·light   (dā'līt')   
n.  

  1. The light of day; sunlight.

    1. Daybreak.

    2. Daytime.

  3. Exposure to public notice: corrupt business practices that were finally brought into the daylight.

  4. Understanding or insight into what was formerly obscure: new evidence that gave the researchers some daylight into the matter.

  5. Sports An opening, as between defensive players, especially one providing an opportunity for action: The running back found some daylight and gained six yards.

  6. daylights Slang One's wits: "His adventurism had scared the daylights out of them" (Frederick Forsyth).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

daylight 
c.1300; its fig. sense of "clearly visible space" has been used in references to boats in a race, U.S. football running backs avoiding opposing tackles, a rider and a saddle, and the rim of a glass and the surface of the liquor. The daylights that you beat out of someone were originally slang for "the eyes" (1752), extended figuratively to the vital senses.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

daylight

In addition to the idiom beginning with daylight, also see beat the living daylights out of; begin to see daylight; in broad daylight; let daylight through; scare out of one's wits (the living daylights out of).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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