Overlights

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small windows or openings placed high above a door, wall or partition to admit extra light into a room
2. Panes of glass set in the upper part of a doorway, wall or roof to let daylight pass into an interior space
3. Windows positioned above a door or partition, often fixed in place, that bring additional natural light into a building

Etymology: "Overlights" is the plural noun form of "overlight," a window set above a door or partition. The word is a straightforward compound: "over-," meaning above, joined to "light," here in the sense of an opening that admits daylight. Its roots go back to Middle English, where "over-lyght" was formed the same way from the same two parts. Because the parts are transparent, the word needs little decoding. A window placed above a door lets light spill into a hallway or room that might otherwise be dim, and the term names exactly that function. The plural form simply refers to several such windows in a building.

Synonyms: transom, fanlight