noun
dimmer
DIH-muh
noun
1
A switch or dial that adjusts the brightness of an electric light.
"They installed a dimmer so they could lower the dining room lights."
2
North American term for the switch that toggles a car's headlights between low and high beam.
"He tapped the dimmer to drop his headlights to low beam for oncoming traffic."
How to Use Dimmer
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA control that lowers the brightness of a light, whether in a house or a car.
UK vs US
In the UK this car-light switch is usually called a "dip switch" rather than a "dimmer".
Common pairings
dimmer switch
install a dimmer
Word Forms
dimmers plural
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They installed a _____ so they could lower the dining room lights.
Etymology
From "dim" plus the agent suffix "-er".