lamp

noun

ˈlamp 

1

a

: any of various devices for producing light or sometimes heat: such as

(1)

: a vessel with a wick for burning an inflammable liquid (such as oil) to produce light

(2)

: a glass bulb or tube that emits light produced by electricity (such as an incandescent light bulb or fluorescent lamp)

b

: a decorative appliance housing a lamp that is usually covered by a shade

2

: a celestial body

3

: a source of intellectual or spiritual illumination

4

: eye sense 1a

—usually used in plural

Synonyms

• beacon
• illuminant
• light

Examples of lamp in a Sentence

I didn't realize it had gotten so dark in the room until my wife came in and turned on the lamp, momentarily blinding me.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearly three hours after the final whistle, Walton Breck Road, which runs behind the Kop, was still closed to traffic due to the sheer volume of people with many clambering up railings, lamp posts or onto nearby roofs to gain the best possible vantage point as the beer flowed. —James Pearce, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Coastal homes are the perfect properties to incorporate these weather-resistant, cylindrical lamp post lights with opal glass. —Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2025

For most of us, the sun still rises in the morning and sets in the evening, even as some of us now have to use L.E.D. lamps to substitute for natural light. —Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025

An eclectic collection of vintage finds awaits at Bay Breeze Antiques, including nautical and beach-themed pieces like rattan furniture and kitschy pelican lamps. —Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French lampe, from Latin lampas, from Greek, from lampein to shine; akin to Hittite lap- to burn

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lamp

• arc lamp
• compact fluorescent lamp
• discharge lamp
• floor lamp
• fluorescent lamp
• fog lamp
• glow lamp
• incandescent lamp
• lava lamp
• mercury-vapor lamp
• oil lamp
• quartz-iodine lamp
• safety lamp
• smoking lamp
• sodium-vapor lamp
• standard lamp
• student lamp

Rhymes for lamp

• amp
• champ
• clamp
• cramp
• damp
• gamp
• ramp
• samp
• scamp
• stamp
• tamp
• tramp

Kids Definition

lamp

noun

ˈlamp 

: a device for producing light or heat

Medical Definition

lamp

noun

ˈlamp 

: any of various devices for producing light or heat see kromayer lamp, slit lamp