lamp

American  

[lamp] / læmp /

noun

• lamps
  plural

1. any of various devices furnishing artificial light, as by electricity or gas.

2. a container for an inflammable liquid, as oil, which is burned at a wick as a means of illumination.

3. a source of intellectual or spiritual light.

   the lamp of learning.

4. any of various devices furnishing heat, ultraviolet, or other radiation.

   an infrared lamp.

5. a celestial body that gives off light, as the moon or a star.

6. a torch.

7. Slang. lamps, the eyes.

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verb (used with object)

1. Slang. to look at; eye.

idioms

1. smell of the lamp, to give evidence of laborious study or effort.

   His dissertation smells of the lamp.

lamp British  

/ læmp /

noun

1. 1. any of a number of devices that produce illumination

      an electric lamp

      a gas lamp

      an oil lamp

   2. ( in combination )

      lampshade

2. a device for holding one or more electric light bulbs

   a table lamp

3. a vessel in which a liquid fuel is burned to supply illumination

4. any of a variety of devices that produce radiation, esp for therapeutic purposes

   an ultraviolet lamp

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lampless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lamps
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lamp

1150–1200; Middle English lampe < Old French < Late Latin lampada, for Latin lampas (stem lampad- ) < Greek lampás lamp; akin to lámpē torch, lamp, lámpein to shine

Explanation

A lamp is a small appliance that holds an electric bulb and produces light. Your desk lamp might provide enough light for you to read by at night, or you may have to turn on a floor lamp too after the sun goes down. Today, most lamps use electricity and a light bulb to shine the light that we all need to work and live comfortably after daylight fades. There are also older-style oil lamps and gas lamps, which are more typically described as lanterns. The Greek root of lamp is lampas, "torch or beacon" and also "meteor," from lampein, "to shine."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lamp lamps

A porcelain Capodimonte lamp nestled under vintage Japanese prints is described as “Rococo on acid.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

When researchers positioned a white lamp so that its beam shone straight down, the isopods repeatedly gathered into large rotating circles.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

There were a few small banners on lamp posts along freeways and a few billboards but it felt like functional promotion rather than excitement.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

In 1960, Theodore Maiman demonstrated the first working laser using a synthetic ruby rod and a photographer’s flash lamp.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

The L lights up on the lamp board.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Biers added that collectors have many uses for the remains, ranging from the ritualistic to some being turned into things like lamps and earrings.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Ghaffar’s team said they are very happy with the result to date, adding that the arbitrator had sided with Ghaffar on other matters, ranging from a dispute over Louis Vuitton lamps to certain real-estate transactions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Patni commemorated Akash with a framed photograph and a life-size cutout, decorated with flowers and surrounded by scattered rose petals and lit lamps.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

Capybara merch is wildly popular in the zoo’s gift shops, which sell 25,000 capybara-themed items a year: almost 7,000 plush toys, plus keychains, backpacks, cups, caps, bottles, slippers, and lamps.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

The red brick brownstone welcomed them home with the warm glow of lamps in the ground floor, first floor, and second floor.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Related Words

• flashlight
• light