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

• 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

These are fantastical pieces, oddly human-like lamps that glow, literally, with toxic beauty. —Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Then, simply paint your favorite shade of gel nail polish onto your nails (feel free to add chrome powder on top for a more dimensional look), cure it under the UV lamp, and paint a layer of top coat on. —Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 24 June 2025

There’s the Penelope table lamp, where a mysterious, almost melancholy face base is adorned with a glass globe. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025

From classic 1980s silhouettes that still hold up today to a more modern take on the classic banker’s lamp, read on for our top picks for the best desk lamps out there. —Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 20 June 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