Short for light-emitting diode. An electronic semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. They are considerably more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and rarely burn out. LEDs are used in many applications such as flat-screen video displays, and increasingly as general sources of light.
See also semiconductor laser
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The LA County Parks events will feature live match broadcasts on a giant LED screen, according to an LA County Parks news release.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Rocket Lab investors geek out over the company’s signature aesthetic, from its sleek black carbon-fiber Electron rockets to a custom-built mission-control center designed with pitch-black walls and crimson LED lighting.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
The new contract includes LED lighting and controls that have heat-mapping technology, meaning they can be dimmed to save energy, and replacing external lights.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Dan used a horizontal bar lined with LED lights that kept my eyes dancing and darting as he prompted me to recall a distressing childhood memory.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
In the dim LED light she could see stone steps.
From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
