A flashlight (often called a torch outside North America) is a portable hand-held electric light. Usually, the source of the light is a small incandescent light bulb or light-emitting diode (LED). A typical flashlight consists of a light bulb mounted in a reflector, a transparent cover (sometimes combined with a lens) to protect the light source and reflector, a battery, and a switch. These are supported and protected by a case. The invention of the dry cell and miniature incandescent electric light bulbs made the first battery-powered flashlights possible around 1899.
