lamp

noun

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

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 The review also says the patio area is especially pleasant with lush gardens and heat lamps. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 As the storied event wrapped up close to midnight Sunday, guests huddled under heat lamps, awaiting their names being publicly blasted by the traffic coordinator. Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 My old friend Milo Machado-Graner is wolfing down an In-N-Out burger under a heat lamp. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 In a more peaceful time, the streets of Gazan cities would be packed with families buying Ramadan decorations and supplies — colorful lamps, food and sweets — and preparing for days of fasting, evenings of eating with family and nights of praying at a mosque. Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Ammar Sidr, 47, works with the one of the youth groups that normally festoons the entrance to al-Aqsa with 60 Ramadan lamps and thousands of yards of electric lights. Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The pub is a one-room affair with a pool table and small dance floor – room to cut exactly one rug – plus a back patio with heat lamps. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 The collection includes everything from antique silver drinkware to 19th-century mirrors, lamps, and tea kettles. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 Feb. 2024 Luckily, Walmart just launched its spring decor shop with mirrors, rugs, lamps, and more easy home upgrades from brands like Better Homes & Gardens and The Pioneer Woman, and prices start at just $9. Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lamp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lamp was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near lamp

Cite this Entry

“Lamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamp. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lamp

noun
: a device for producing light or heat

Medical Definition

lamp

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

More from Merriam-Webster on lamp

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