Home › Words › G › gaslightgaslight/ˈɡæslaɪt/gaslight means A lamp which operates by burning piped illuminating gas (or town gas).gaslight is pronounced /ˈɡæslaɪt/.EtymologyFrom gas (“flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel”) + light.nounA lamp which operates by burning piped illuminating gas (or town gas).The light produced by the burning gas in such a lamp.e.g.“A year since I strained my eyes very severely, and have never dared to use them much since by gaslight.” — 1887, Horatio Alger, Jr., “An Unexpected Engagement”, in Frank Fowler, the Cash Boy (The Alger Series for Boys), New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt, →OCLC, page 86:verbTo manipulate someone such that they doubt their own memory, perceptions of reality, or sanity, typically for malevolent reasons.e.g.“Sylvia is a beautiful woman whose business-partner husband is "gaslighting" her. (That means he's trying to drive her crazy.)” — 1962, "The Journal Pre-Views Tonight's TV." Jersey Journal [Jersey City, NJ]. February 12, 1962: 12 col 6, describing the plot of the episode "Who Is Sylvia" of the television show Surfside 6To deceive, trick, or lie to.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).