flashbulb

American  

[flash-buhlb] / ˈflæʃˌbʌlb /

Or flash bulb

noun

Photography.

1. a glass bulb, filled with oxygen and aluminum or zirconium wire or foil, which, when ignited electrically, burns with a brilliant flash to provide momentary illumination of a subject.

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flashbulb British  

/ ˈflæʃˌbʌlb /

noun

1. Also called: photoflash.  photog a small expendable glass light bulb formerly used to produce a bright flash of light Compare electronic flash

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Etymology

Origin of flashbulb

First recorded in 1930–35; flash + bulb

Example Sentences

What’s left is a spectral scene, ghosted by the limitations of old black-and-white photographic technology and further heightened by the uneven glow generated by the camera’s flashbulb.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

Its mother, the single-use luminescent flashbulb, resembled a domestic light bulb and would project shattered glass as well as light.

From Slate • Dec. 21, 2021

Researchers found that "Inconsistent flashbulb memories were more likely to be repeated rather than corrected over the 10-year period."

From Salon • Sep. 8, 2021

In a dark theater, the finale — in which the protagonist uses a flashbulb to defend himself — will have its proper blinding effect.

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2021

I see lightning illuminate the dark mountains like the flashbulb on my camera.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya