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.

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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

Derived Forms

• lampless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lamps
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

lamp lamps

There's a blame game over a broken clock and lamp, and middle child Shea has to plead his innocence over the latter.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

The imagery associated with the unassembled statue is intriguing, too—pictures of the head or the lamp, waiting patiently in a workshop or a park, play with our sense of scale.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

A mechanical arm emerged from the top, ending in what he described as a giant lamp head.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

The researchers made a reconfigurable lamp shade with multistable switches that correspond to different colors of light.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

I snap on the bedside lamp and an amber glow illuminates the corner.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

“When we went to Tulum and parts of Mexico, we would take pictures of lamps or couches—just as inspiration—and then we started to put together a Pinterest board of things that we liked,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

Millions across India are set to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, illuminating homes, temples, offices and streets with oil lamps and colourful lights to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

I also love exploring Sidi Ghanem for pieces made by local artisans, especially ceramics, woven baskets, lamps and beautiful homeware.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

The lamps interact with oxygen in the air and produce ozone.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Each moment I expected to see the glare of lamps through the blackness; but all was dark.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

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Related Words

• flashlight
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