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

• beacon
• illuminant
• light

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

Sprawling, towering, flamboyant installations of faux flowers and leaves are fast becoming a new hallmark of restaurant design, the florid successor to past fixations like open kitchens, Mason jars and those cordless tabletop lamps. —Priya Krishna, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024

This allows your clock to double as a night light or to create mood lighting in your room without adding a bulky lamp to your nightstand. —Adria Greenhauff, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024

Her only tools are a brass dagger stitched into her bodice and a filigreed orb that serves as a lamp. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024

Watch Kevin try to make sense of the 134-page owner’s guide with a goal of getting the Butler in a Box to do a seemingly simple task: turn on a lamp using a voice command. —Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024

The most fun part about this lamp is its remote control, which changes brightness and colors from nearly 33 feet away. —Katrina Cossey, Parents, 1 Mar. 2024

For the bedroom, start by scooping up this metal platform bed frame that’s under $100, then look to this end table that offers plenty of space to house books, lamps, and more. —Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024

The lamp has seven different lighting modes including a red-light beam which is great for night hikes. —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024

Above dining tables, lamps by Muller Van Severen for Valerie Objects reference the Aaltos’ preference for functional, indirect lighting. —Kate Maxwell Lindsey Tramuta Reggie Nadelson Gisela Williams Roxanne Fequiere Siska Lyssens, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024

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

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