lampshade
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lampshade
Explanation
A lampshade is a decorative cover that diffuses a lightbulb's brightness. Besides looking pretty, lampshades also prevent a light's glare from temporarily blinding you. If the naked bulb on your lamp casts a stark and blinding light, try putting a lampshade on top. This device does just what its name implies, shading the lamp's light in a pleasant way. Lampshades can be made of fabric, plastic, glass, or paper, and they come in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Early 20th-century vaudeville performers created the enduring trope of a man with a lampshade on his head as the wacky life of the party.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
While many of the designs took Burch out of her comfort zone, the one that stood out was the hooded sweater with orange lampshade skirt.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
It has been likened to the magical carpet bag carried by Mary Poppins who, in the eponymous 1964 musical, pulls a hat stand and lampshade out of her holdall.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2024
“While she thoughtfully sources lampshade frames from a local artisan and uses 100% compostable components for shipping, it’s the wood she utilizes in her designs that highlight her unwavering dedication to the environment,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2023
In a video released by his campaign in August 2020, Biden is seen backing the car into the garage, where a messy pile of materials appears to include a cardboard box and a lampshade.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2023
He leaned back in his chair, and the lampshade put his face in shadow.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
She painted delicate flowers, oranges and leaves on glass, leather and even lampshades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Brick walls and exposed piping contrast with wooden furniture, white couches and floor cushions and the warm glow of Noguchi lampshades.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025
The largest cybersecurity company in the US has apologised for using two women posing with company-branded lampshades on their heads at a trade event in Las Vegas.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2024
The rugs and lampshades they produce are especially attractive to customers, with the company now exporting some products to Europe.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 7, 2023
It had a patrician bump on its nose, magnificent curly hair that rested atop a pronounced collarbone, and a broad forehead that reflected in miniature the walls and doors and lampshades around them.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
