Synonyms

safety lamp

American

noun

a miner's lamp in which the flame is protected by wire gauze to prevent the immediate ignition of explosive gases.

safety lamp British

noun

Also called: Davy lamp. an oil-burning miner's lamp in which the flame is surrounded by a metal gauze to prevent it from igniting combustible gas

"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 safety lamp

First recorded in 1810–20

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.

The same gallery will host works by Ryan Gander, who will create sculptures inspired by northern inventions, from Joseph Swan's incandescent light bulb to George Stephenson's Geordie safety lamp.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2018

Again it was a result of an opened safety lamp igniting the gas.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2017

For it was in Newcastle in 1815 that the miners' safety lamp was first demonstrated, an entirely practical device made not for stylish appearance, but to stop miners from getting blown up.

From The Guardian • Jun. 15, 2012

Could asbestos fibers be used to replace the wire in a safety lamp?

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William

He didn't have to carry a safety lamp, nor chemical apparatus, nor cages of mice an' canaries, the way folks do, now.

From The Boy With the U.S. Miners by Rolt-Wheeler, Francis

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