light bulb

noun

variants or lightbulb

ˈlīt-ˌbəlb 

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

Illustration of light bulb

• 1 bulb containing gas
• 2 filament
• 3 connecting and supporting wires
• 4 exhaust tube
• 5 screw base
• 6 base contact

Examples of light bulb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Replace light bulbs: If possible, make sure that the light bulbs in your home are incandescent or LED. —Serenity Mirabito, Rn, Health, 19 June 2024

Glass bottles, ornaments, light bulbs, ceramic vessels or brittle containers, whether or not the container holds any substance. —Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2024

Behind it all: A single pulsing tungsten light bulb, encased in green gel. —Tim Balk, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2024

Billed as the largest such program in the world, the government’s large-scale purchases of LED light bulbs reduced the cost of a single light bulb in India by 85 percent between 2015 and 2019, making energy-efficient light bulbs affordable for ordinary households. —Arunabha Ghosh, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Kids 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

: fluorescent lamp