lamp

American  

[lamp] / læmp /

noun

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• lampless adjective

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

Example Sentences

Instead of relying on heavy metal catalysts, the reaction is activated by an LED lamp at ambient temperature.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

Its only post office is in danger of closing due to lack of funding, and fliers are posted up on lamp posts asking for financial support from the community.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

But Bottas is being asked to use his 12 years in F1 to help design the whole lamp.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

She was sitting in bed, the room dark except for a portable reading lamp perched on her bed.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

“She has made a confession of sorts,” Aunt Kitty told me as she sat at the small desk later that night, her lamp casting a yellow glow to our dark room.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• flashlight
• light