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

The 20-plus-year journey—from the lightbulb over Bartholdi’s head to the lamp over the statue’s—was fraught.

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

A woman approached the stall where Vadym and his wife, who sells porcelain, had laid out what they had left, and asked the price of an elegant lamp with a cream-coloured shade.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Without a lamp I could not tell when the rig was going to hit a rut or a puddle.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Residents rely on portable lamps, rechargeable lights and cellphone flashlights as temperatures remain oppressive deep into the night.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Other toxic hazards include Himalayan salt lamps and essential oils, Butler said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The blue-lit monotony of every day is replaced by warm amber table lamps and dimly lit corners flanked by books on all sides.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

Specialty lamps are already sold for other biological purposes, including helping people cope with disruptions to natural circadian rhythms such as jet lag.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

One desk had an old-fashioned-looking phone, the kind he’d only ever seen in movies, and lamps with thick green glass.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

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Related Words

• flashlight
• light

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