lamp

noun

ˈlamp 

1

a

: any of various devices for producing light or sometimes heat: such as

(1)

: a vessel with a wick for burning an inflammable liquid (such as oil) to produce light

(2)

: a glass bulb or tube that emits light produced by electricity (such as an incandescent light bulb or fluorescent lamp)

b

: a decorative appliance housing a lamp that is usually covered by a shade

2

: a celestial body

3

: a source of intellectual or spiritual illumination

4

: eye sense 1a

—usually used in plural

Synonyms of lamp

• light
• lighting
• candle
• headlight
• flashlight

Examples of lamp in a Sentence

I didn't realize it had gotten so dark in the room until my wife came in and turned on the lamp, momentarily blinding me.

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, the rooms are dotted with Amami lamps by Artemide, Tab Tables by Flos and Memory Lane armchairs by Tacchini. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2025

Candle Warmer Lamp Set the mood with an elegant and unexpected candle-warming lamp. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 11 Nov. 2025

Place the pot in a warm area like in front of a sunny window, on top of your refrigerator, or under a heat lamp. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2025

Solar Power to the Amazonian People Many riverside communities throughout the Amazon basin lack access to electricity and often depend on polluting kerosene lamps and diesel generators for light and power. —Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French lampe, from Latin lampas, from Greek, from lampein to shine; akin to Hittite lap- to burn

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lamp

• arc lamp
• compact fluorescent lamp
• discharge lamp
• floor lamp
• fluorescent lamp
• fog lamp
• glow lamp
• incandescent lamp
• lava lamp
• mercury-vapor lamp
• oil lamp
• quartz-iodine lamp
• safety lamp
• smoking lamp
• sodium-vapor lamp
• standard lamp
• student lamp

Rhymes for lamp

• amp
• champ
• clamp
• cramp
• damp
• gamp
• ramp
• samp
• scamp
• stamp
• tamp
• tramp

Kids Definition

lamp

noun

ˈlamp 

: a device for producing light or heat

Medical Definition

lamp

noun

ˈlamp 

: any of various devices for producing light or heat see kromayer lamp, slit lamp