light bulb

American

noun

an electric light.

light bulb British

noun

Sometimes shortened to: bulb. a glass bulb containing a gas, such as argon or nitrogen, at low pressure and enclosing a thin metal filament that emits light when an electric current is passed through it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of light bulb

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Among the answers: a small ink-stained mahogany desk, an antique light bulb, a brown leather flight suit and a baseball jersey.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

From that light bulb moment, Recondition, which Brown said created every piece with accessibility and style in mind, was born.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

“And once he said it, it just struck a light bulb into my brain like, ‘It’s about the process.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

His most recent apartment inspection failed because the light bulb in the fridge was out.

From Slate • Oct. 8, 2025

The medal was linked to a chain similar to the pull-cord attached to the light bulb hanging in the middle of our kitchen.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023