Illustration of light bulb
- 1 bulb containing gas
- 2 filament
- 3 connecting and supporting wires
- 4 exhaust tube
- 5 screw base
- 6 base contact
light bulb
noun
variants
or lightbulb
plural light bulbs or lightbulbs
: an electric lamp: such as
a
: one in which a filament gives off light when heated to incandescence by an electric current
called also incandescent, incandescent lamp
b
: one having a coating of fluorescent material on its inner surface that emits visible light : fluorescent lamp
especially
: compact fluorescent light
c
: one using LEDs to generate light
Examples of light bulb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Might light bulbs be the rare topic on which New Yorkers and Trump agree?
—
Diego Lasarte, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Changing light bulbs is a common household chore, especially for rooms where lights are flipped on and off frequently.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025
The president also reversed Biden’s plan to phase out plastic straws in favor of paper ones in the federal government and told Zeldin to roll back efficiency standards on household goods and appliances such as light bulbs, shower heads, and dishwashers.
—Varad Mehta, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
From Thomas Edison's 10,000 unsuccessful attempts before inventing the light bulb to Steve Jobs being fired from Apple, history shows us that failure isn't the opposite of success.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for light bulb
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Diego Lasarte, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Changing light bulbs is a common household chore, especially for rooms where lights are flipped on and off frequently.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025
The president also reversed Biden’s plan to phase out plastic straws in favor of paper ones in the federal government and told Zeldin to roll back efficiency standards on household goods and appliances such as light bulbs, shower heads, and dishwashers.
—Varad Mehta, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
From Thomas Edison's 10,000 unsuccessful attempts before inventing the light bulb to Steve Jobs being fired from Apple, history shows us that failure isn't the opposite of success.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for light bulb
Cite this Entry
“Light bulb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20bulb. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lightbulb
noun
light·bulb
ˈlīt-ˌbəlb 
: an electric lamp: as
a
: one in which a filament gives off light when heated by an electric current
called also incandescent lamp
b
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