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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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

light bulbs

plural

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.

See Examples For:

light bulb

"When I put the light switch on, I don't care how that electricity gets to my light bulb, I just want it to work," said Robert.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

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

Blog comment sections were notoriously dynamic, full of debate and discussion and lots of light bulb moments for writers and readers alike.

From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2026

From that light bulb moment, Recondition, which Brown said created every piece with accessibility and style in mind, was born.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

They measure seven by ten feet, and are unfurnished except for a cot, a toilet, a basin, and an overhead light bulb that is never extinguished night or day.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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