1942, shortening of stroboscope. As a shortened form of strobe light, from 1949. As an adjective from 1942.
Entries linking to strobe
stroboscope n.
"instrument for studying motion by periodic light," 1896, from -scope + Greek strobos "a twisting, act of whirling," from PIE root *streb(h)- "to wind, turn." Earlier as the name of a similar device used as a "scientific toy" [OED]. Related: Stroboscopic (1846).
*streb(h)-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to wind, turn."
It forms all or part of: anastrophe; antistrophe; apostrophe (n.1); apostrophe (n.2); boustrophedon; catastrophe; epistrophe; strabismus; strap; strep; strepto-; streptococcus; streptomycin; strobe; strobic; stroboscope; strop; strophe; strophic.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek strophe "stanza," originally "a turning," strephein "to turn," strophaligs "whirl, whirlwind," streblos "twisted," stremma "that which is twisted."