Definition of "houselights" [houselights]

• The lights that illuminate the audience section of a concert hall, theater, or auditorium. (noun-plural)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The houselights come up and everyone's speed suddenly seems to increase now that they can see where they're going."
• "All attention snapped toward the stage, suddenly gone dark as the houselights dimmed."
• "But the dimming of the houselights nonetheless evoked screams of anticipation, and I can confidently state that there's no more receptive audience anywhere than kids who get to play hooky from school legally."