The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Spotlight \Spot"light`\ (sp[o^]t"l[imac]t`), n.
   1. The projected spot or circle of light used to illuminate
      brilliantly a single person or object or group on the
      stage, leaving the rest of the stage more or less
      unilluminated.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   2. hence, conspicuous public notice. [Cant or Colloq.]
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   3. A lighting apparatus designed to throw an intense beam of
      light onto a small area.
      [PJC]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

spotlight
    n 1: a focus of public attention; "he enjoyed being in the
         limelight"; "when Congress investigates it brings the full
         glare of publicity to the agency" [syn: limelight,
         spotlight, glare, public eye]
    2: a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a
       restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer
       [syn: spotlight, spot]
    v 1: move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent;
         "The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished
         career in linguistics" [syn: foreground, highlight,
         spotlight, play up] [ant: background, downplay,
         play down]
    2: illuminate with a spotlight, as in the theater

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

138 Moby Thesaurus words for "spotlight":
   PR, accent, accentuate, affect, arc, arc light, ballyhoo, beacon,
   belabor, betoken, blurb, brandish, breathe, bright light, brighten,
   brighten up, bring forth, bring forward, bring into view,
   bring out, bring to notice, celebrity, color filter,
   common knowledge, cry, currency, dangle, daylight, demonstrate,
   develop, dimmer, disclose, display, divulge, dramatize, dwell on,
   eclat, embody, emphasize, enact, enlighten, evidence, evince,
   exhibit, expose to view, exposure, express, fame, famousness,
   feature, flaunt, floats, flood, flood with light, floodlight,
   flourish, focus of attention, footlights, foots, gelatin,
   give emphasis to, give sign, give token, glare, harp on, highlight,
   hoopla, hue and cry, illume, illuminate, illumine, incarnate,
   indicate, irradiate, italicize, klieg light, light, light plot,
   light up, lighten, lights, limelight, luminate, make clear,
   make plain, manifest, marquee, materialize, maximum dissemination,
   mean, medium, notoriety, overaccentuate, overemphasize, overshine,
   overstress, parade, perform, place emphasis on, plug, point up,
   present, press notice, produce, public eye, public knowledge,
   public relations, public report, publicity, publicity story,
   publicness, puff, punctuate, reclame, relume, relumine, report,
   represent, reveal, roll out, rub in, searchlight, set forth,
   shed light upon, shine upon, show, show forth, spot, star, stress,
   throw light upon, token, trot out, underline, underscore, unfold,
   wave, write-up