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light bulb

American

noun

an electric light.

light bulb British

noun

Sometimes shortened to: bulb. a glass bulb containing a gas, such as argon or nitrogen, at low pressure and enclosing a thin metal filament that emits light when an electric current is passed through it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of light bulb

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Among the answers: a small ink-stained mahogany desk, an antique light bulb, a brown leather flight suit and a baseball jersey.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

In contrast, regulatory bodies like the FTC have been part of the federal government for longer than the light bulb.

From Slate • Dec. 11, 2025

“I love watching the light bulb go off, watching them be inspired,” Gill said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

Call it maturity, call it confidence, call it the light bulb going on.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2025

At the base of the pole from which the light bulb hung were three seeming haystacks.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023