A headlamp is a light you wear on your head, usually attached to an elastic strap that goes around your forehead. Unlike a flashlight that you hold in your hand, a headlamp keeps both hands free while pointing light wherever you look.

Campers and hikers use headlamps when setting up tents after dark or walking on trails at night. Miners wear them to see in dark tunnels deep underground. Runners and cyclists use them for early morning or evening exercise. When you're reading in a tent, fixing something in a tight space, or searching through a dark attic, a headlamp lets you work without constantly repositioning a flashlight.

The word can also refer to the large lights mounted on the front of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. These headlamps (sometimes called headlights) illuminate the road ahead when driving at night. Modern car headlamps are powerful enough to light up the road hundreds of feet ahead, helping drivers see obstacles, curves, and other vehicles in the dark.