🌍 American vs British · vocabulary

flashlight vs torch

A small portable battery-powered electric lamp.

American
flashlight

“Keep a flashlight handy in case the power goes out.”

British
torch

“Keep a torch handy in case the power goes out.”

Good to know

'Flashlight' is American and 'torch' is British for a handheld electric light. In American English, a 'torch' usually means a flaming stick or a blowtorch, not a battery lamp.

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