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.

---

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

---

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

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

A £656.94 Dyson lamp bought from John Lewis was also found in the corner of a room next to a wall lined with bookshelves.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

The tanning lamp rule, which was first proposed in 2015, focused on age as a specific risk factor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

It includes geolocation capabilities, sensors to measure atmospheric electricity, and calibration using a mercury lamp.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

I take out my sketchbook, turn on the desk lamp, and begin writing all the mistakes I’ve made and what level of stupid they are.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• flashlight
• light