gaslight
verb
- mislead someone into doubting reality
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L321152 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈɡæslaɪt/ / /ˈɡæsˌlaɪt/
noun
Etymology: From gas (“flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel”) + light.
- A lamp which operates by burning piped illuminating gas (or town gas).
“He was renovated and refreshed, his soul was strengthened, and his countenance waxed cheerful, and he began to feel like himself again, under the brown canopy of metropolitan smoke, and among the cabs and gaslights.”
“Open the windows once in awhile^([sic]) and give the air a chance to circulate in and out. In the evening, do not forget that the lamps and gaslights are using up a goodly supply of oxygen also—so freshen things up a little, once in awhile.”
- The light produced by the burning gas in such a lamp.
“A year since I strained my eyes very severely, and have never dared to use them much since by gaslight.”
“Then as the darkness descended, they began to shine with the mellow radiance of gaslight.”
verb
Etymology: From the 1938 stage play Gas Light by the English playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton (1904–1962), and its 1940 and 1944 film adaptations, in which a husband attempts to convince his wife and others that she is insane by manipulating small elements of their environment. For more details, see also Gaslighting § Etymology on Wikipedia.
- To manipulate someone such that they doubt their own memory, perceptions of reality, or sanity, typically for malevolent reasons.
“Sylvia is a beautiful woman whose business-partner husband is "gaslighting" her. (That means he's trying to drive her crazy.)”
“[The men of McHale's Navy] decide to "gaslight" the already befuddled captain, to convince him he is going insane.”
- To deceive, trick, or lie to.