brights
UK[braɪts]US[braɪts]
n
The high-beam setting of a vehicle's headlights.
n
(plural) Bright or intelligent people.
Morpheme Breakdown
bright
s
bright
shining
s
plural suffix
Etymology
The word 'brights' is a modern English plural formation. Its core, 'bright', descends from the Proto-Germanic 'berhtaz', itself from the Proto-Indo-European root 'bhereg-', meaning 'to shine, white, light'. This ancient root gives the modern adjective its primary sense of emitting or reflecting light. The simple addition of the plural '-s' creates a noun referring either to the high-intensity setting of headlights, a direct metaphorical extension of 'shining', or collectively to people distinguished by their intellectual luminosity.
Analysis
Structure: bright (shining) + s (plural suffix)
'bright' is from Old English 'beorht', meaning shining, clear, or splendid. The '-s' is a native English plural suffix.
Examples
Please switch your brights off when there's oncoming traffic.
The conference was attended by some of the brightest brights in the field of quantum computing.
Driving in fog, it's often better to use your low beams rather than your brights.