highlight
UK[ˈhaɪlaɪt]US[ˈhaɪlaɪt]
v
To mark text with a bright color to make it easy to see or to emphasize it.
v
To draw special attention to something; to be a particularly important or interesting part of something.
n
The best, most interesting, or most exciting part of an event or period of time.
n
A bright area in a picture, or the brightness of such an area.
Morpheme Breakdown
high
light
high
light
Etymology
The word 'highlight' is a transparent compound formed from two native English words, 'high' and 'light'. Its original, literal sense from the 17th century referred to the brightest spot or area of illumination on a physical object, such as a reflective surface in a painting. This visual concept of making a specific area stand out through increased brightness was then metaphorically extended in the 19th century to the act of emphasizing a particular piece of text. The modern abstract senses—focusing attention on an important detail or denoting the most memorable part of an event—logically evolved from this core idea of visually and figuratively bringing something into sharp, prominent relief against its background.
Analysis
Structure: high + light
- high (Old English hēah): An adjective meaning 'of great vertical extent'. In this compound, it functions to indicate a position or quality of being elevated or prominent.
- light (Old English lēoht): A noun meaning 'the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible'. In this compound, it functions as the core object, representing illumination or brightness.
Examples
Use a marker to highlight the key terms in the document.
The report highlights the need for immediate action on climate change.
Seeing the northern lights was the highlight of our trip to Iceland.