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

Its versatile design can be placed in your living room, bedroom, or entryway to organize lamps, books, and catch-all trays. —Kelsey Fredricks, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025

The lamp’s large screen and durable construction are ideal for long-term use. —Jené Luciani Sena, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025

So go ahead—invest in a Noguchi lamp, a sleek wooden table, earthy vases and some wabi-sabi pottery. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2025

Then, the night before the conference, my symptoms got much worse; the hotel room didn’t have a lamp dim enough to soothe my suffering orbs. —Peter Ubel, Forbes, 25 Feb. 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