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When the Sun or the Moon shines through a window, there's a corresponding bright spot on the floor or wall. Conversely, when an object blocks light, it casts a shadow. What would the term be for this opposite?

EDIT: I'm searching for a word that describes the bright spot, not the shadow.

Maybe some context will help.

I have this large picture window in my living room that, on the night of a full Moon, produces this stunning effect after Moonrise. When describing it, I find myself saying:

"If you turn out the lights, the moonlight entering the window casts an eerily beautiful {{word}} on the opposite wall."

Best I've come up with so far is sheen.

Bob Kaufman
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  • A spot that is lit? – Elliott Frisch Oct 27 '16 at 00:44
  • Related and possible duplicates: http://english.stackexchange.com/q/127189 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/159198 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/95334 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/185891 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/267113 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/178809 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/294429 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/316995 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/299720 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/127266 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/127145 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/192609 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/227855 et cetera. – tchrist Oct 27 '16 at 01:02
  • "The Spot on the Floor at the End of a Rainbow is called the Crock of Gold". – Peter Point Oct 27 '16 at 01:23
  • @PeterPoint I discovered in my youth that some blighter has stolen it. – Mick Oct 27 '16 at 01:26
  • @Mick I feel a song coming coming on... Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high; There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby; Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue; And you'll find my old chum Kayzer, counting out his... ill gotten gains. ...........He's the blighter who filched the crock, don't ya know? Apologies to Judy Garland and anyone else out there reading this tomfoolery. – Peter Point Oct 27 '16 at 01:36
  • @PeterPoint What? Crock of gold? I'd opt for pot every time! What? – Richard Kayser Oct 27 '16 at 03:44
  • Re the question. Is about the light or the shadow? I can't tell. The question seems to be about the former, the question body about the latter. Please clarify before my friend @PeterPoint spews out another song or provocative quote of some sort. – Richard Kayser Oct 27 '16 at 03:48
  • @RichardKayser Quite so, Rich. Quite so! – Peter Point Oct 27 '16 at 05:15
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    @PeterPoint You're fun. – Richard Kayser Oct 27 '16 at 05:16
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    A pool of light? – BoldBen Oct 27 '16 at 08:58
  • @RichardKayser - see my edit. I'm asking about the light. – Bob Kaufman Oct 27 '16 at 16:32
  • Are you saying that there's a specific spot of light which looks like a picture of the moon? That's not how sunlight and moonlight normally appear, something must be focussing it. Do you have a piece of feature glass in the window, a glass pendant hanging in the window or some sort of hole somewhere which could act as a pinhole camera? If that's the case you would call the spot an image of the moon. – BoldBen Oct 27 '16 at 18:15
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    @BoldBen: I think he's saying it's just the outline of the window, making a very clear, crisp patch of light on the opposite wall. – herisson Oct 27 '16 at 18:43
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    Shadow is just another word for darkness. The opposite of a shadow would be a ray or beam of light. Technically there's not a word for "the spot on the floor where a shadow falls" so I wouldn't expect there to be an antonym. – sanpaco Oct 28 '16 at 01:35
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    @tchrist None of those had anything to do with this question. – Cord Oct 28 '16 at 01:38
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    I would generally call the spot a sunbeam or moonbeam. When people use those terms they are quite often referring to the "spot" produced, vs the (invisible) beam of light moving through the atmosphere. – Hot Licks Oct 28 '16 at 03:05
  • Spotlight. That's me in the Spotlight, loosing my religion. – Vishnoo Rath Nov 01 '16 at 03:53

4 Answers4

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Dapple: a patch or spot of color or light.

It's usually used in a context where there are many such patches ("The sun-dappled forest floor"), so it's not a perfect fit but it does describe a patch of light.

Mattia
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2

I did a great amount of digging for this, but I think we all might agree that there might not be a word to uniquely describe this phenomenon. I went through a large amount of solar and planetary terminology to make certain there wasn't anything I was missing.

While "sheen" is probably acceptable, I would offer up the alternative of "glow".

The moonlight through the window cast an eerie glow onto the wall.

Cord
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0

Both theater terminology and physics jargon seem to agree that beams of light create hot spots.

  • Tonight we shall not require a lamp for our play, as the moon is providing a natural hot spot.

Hot Spot, the musical

Pang
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Bread
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0

I have used the term "sun puddle" for sunbeams on floors.

Urban Dictionary has this definition with about 15 upvotes, so its not just me.

I have no word for a "moon puddle" though. "Moon pool" feels right, but that's already taken to mean something else.

I have no word for either light source on a wall.

Rorschach
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