A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek στρόβος (stróbos), meaning "act of whirling".
Blue Strobe light
LED Strobe beacon on emergency vehicle
A stroboscope, also known as a strobe, is an instrument used to make a cyclically moving object appear to be slow-moving, or stationary. It consists of either a rotating disk with slots or holes or a lamp such as a flashtube which produces brief repetitive flashes of light. Usually, the rate of the stroboscope is adjustable to different frequencies. When a rotating or vibrating object is observed with the stroboscope at its vibration frequency, it appears stationary. Thus stroboscopes are also used to measure frequency.
A bouncing ball captured with a stroboscopic flash at 25 images per second.
1540 Strobolume, a professional grade stroboscope produced by General Radio
Close-up view of the 1540 Strobolume control box
Stroboscope on a gramophone turntable