A lamp is a light that works by using electricity or by burning oil or gas.
She switched on the bedside lamp.
In the evenings we eat by the light of an oil lamp.
2. countable noun
A lamp is an electrical device which produces a special type of light or heat, used especially in medical or beauty treatment.
...a sun lamp.
...the use of infra-red lamps.
lamp in British English
(læmp)
noun
1.
a.
any of a number of devices that produce illumination
an electric lamp
a gas lamp
an oil lamp
b.
(in combination)
lampshade
2.
a device for holding one or more electric light bulbs
a table lamp
3.
a vessel in which a liquid fuel is burned to supply illumination
4.
any of a variety of devices that produce radiation, esp for therapeutic purposes
an ultraviolet lamp
Word origin
C13 lampe, via Old French from Latin lampas, from Greek, from lampein to shine
lamp in American English
(læmp)
noun
1.
a container with a wick for burning oil, alcohol, etc. to produce light or heat: the wick is often enclosed in a glass tube or chimney, to protect the flame
2.
any of various devices for producing light or heat, as an electric light bulb ora gas jet
3.
a holder, stand, or base for such a device
4.
a source of knowledge, wisdom, or spiritual strength
5. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
the sun, moon, a star, etc.
6. [pl.]; Slang, Obsolete
the eyes
verb transitive
7. US, Slang, Obsolete
to look at
Word origin
ME lampe < OFr < VL lampade < L lampas (gen. lampadis) < Gr < lampein, to shine < IE base *lap- > Latvian lāpa, torch
lamp in Automotive Engineering
(læmp)
Word forms: (regular plural) lamps
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Bodywork, controls, and accessories)
A lamp is a lighting unit in a vehicle.
In the event of a damper fault, the dashboard warning lamp lights up to warn the driver.
The government should legislate against the use of fog lamps in fine weather, as they impair the vision of oncoming drivers.
A lamp illuminates on the instrument panel if brake fluid levels are low.
Examples of 'lamp' in a sentence
lamp
That was used then to light lamps to light your home.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
We walked the stone streets, fending off the shopkeepers with their stockpiles of oil lamps and wooden camels.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
Whale oil lit our lamps for centuries.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.
Pete Cohen and Sten Cummins with Jennai Cox HABIT BUSTING: A 10-step plan that will change your life (2002)
They had to have olive oil to light the lamps.
Christianity Today (2000)
The old lady was in charge of one of the lamps.
Edward Beauclerk Maurice THE LAST OF THE GENTLEMEN ADVENTURERS: Coming of Age in the Arctic (2004)
The heat lamps they got in three weeks ago make a difference.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There are good bedside reading lamps and stacks of glossy magazines.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Put lamps in the corner of rooms to make the area appear bigger.
The Sun (2016)
There was only the glow of the oil lamp now that the electricity had gone off.
Len Deighton Bomber
The lamps are lighted up all of a sudden.
William Thackeray Vanity Fair (1837)
All the horses have heat lamps in their boxes.
The Sun (2015)
It has smoother wraparound front lights and similar lamps and back boot lid at the rear.
The Sun (2009)
It just had one heat lamp.
Leo McKinstry Sir Alf: A Major Reappraisal of the Life and Times of England's Greatest FootballManager (2006)
He switched on the bedside lamp.
various & introduction by Deirdre Chapman A Roomful of Birds - Scottish short stories 1990 (1990)
The organisms move away from strong light and high temperature produced by a lamp and are collected in a jar of preservative.
McCahill, T. A. Biology Basic Facts (1982)
The foreman was sitting under his gas lamp, talking to one of the workers.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Electric lamps produce a light which is very distorted, with an excess of red rays.
Mumby, Keith The Allergy Handbook (1988)
This was before electricity or gas, so the house was lit with candles and oil lamps.
Max Arthur Lost Voices of the Edwardians: 19011910 in the words of the Men & Women Who WereThere (2006)
Using some ingenuity, it was possible to fry an egg and grill some bacon using a bedside lamp.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Oil lamps, candles and gas lamps did not influence our way of life to the extent that electricity has.
MacIntyre, Anne M. E. Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome - How To Live With It (1989)
Keep your lamp burning, and you will recognize Him.
Bertodano, Theresa (ed.) Daily Readings with Mother Theresa (1993)
Luckily for you, the engine management system's warning lamp is not one of those affected.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
She put out her lamp, covered the fire, and went into her bedroom to undress.
Edith Wharton The House of Mirth (1905)
Quotations
The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetimeLord GreyTwenty-five Years
In other languages
lamp
British English: lamp /læmp/ NOUN
A lamp is a light that works by using electricity or by burning oil or gas.
She switched on the bedside lamp.
American English: lamp
Arabic: مِصْبَاحٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: lâmpada
Chinese: 灯
Croatian: svjetiljka
Czech: lampa
Danish: lampe
Dutch: lamp
European Spanish: lámpara
Finnish: lamppu
French: lampe
German: Lampe
Greek: λάμπα
Italian: lampada
Japanese: ランプ
Korean: 램프
Norwegian: lampe
Polish: lampa
European Portuguese: lâmpada
Romanian: lampă
Russian: лампа
Latin American Spanish: lámpara
Swedish: lampa
Thai: ตะเกียง
Turkish: lamba
Ukrainian: лампа
Vietnamese: đèn
All related terms of 'lamp'
arc lamp
a lamp in which brilliant light is produced by maintaining an arc between two electrodes , used as a spotlight , searchlight , etc.
Davy lamp
an early safety lamp for miners , in which the flame was enclosed by wire gauze as a protection against firedamp
fog lamp
a powerful light for use in foggy conditions, usually positioned low down on the front or rear of a road vehicle
gas lamp
→ another name for gaslight
glow lamp
a discharge lamp , esp. one used to produce a brightly colored light
heat lamp
a lamp fitted with an infrared bulb to supply heat esp. as part of physical therapy
lamp-hole
a hole in the ground for lowering a lamp down into a sewer
lamp oil
kerosene
lamp-post
A lamp-post is a tall metal or concrete pole that is fixed beside a road and has a light at the top.
lava lamp
a decorative type of lamp in which a luminous viscous material moves in constantly changing shapes
neon lamp
a glass bulb or tube containing neon at low pressure that gives a pink or red glow when a voltage is applied
oil lamp
a simple vessel used to produce light by burning paraffin (or kerosene )
sun lamp
A sun lamp is a lamp that produces ultraviolet light . People use sun lamps to make their skin browner.
wall lamp
a lamp that is fixed onto a wall
Aldis lamp
a portable lamp used to transmit Morse code
flame lamp
a filament lamp in which the bulb resembles the shape of a flame
flash lamp
a lamp for providing momentary illumination of the subject of a photograph
floor lamp
A floor lamp is a tall electric light which stands on the floor in a living room.
lamp shell
any of various brachiopods
pilot lamp
a small light in an electric circuit or device that lights up when the circuit is closed or when certain conditions prevail
quartz lamp
a high-intensity mercury-vapor lamp with a housing of fused quartz that remains cooler and more transparent than glass
riding lamp
a light on a boat or ship showing that it is at anchor
safety lamp
an oil-burning miner's lamp in which the flame is surrounded by a metal gauze to prevent it from igniting combustible gas
sodium lamp
a type of electric lamp consisting of a glass tube containing neon and sodium vapour at low pressure through which an electric current is passed to give an orange light. They are used in street lighting
spirit lamp
a lamp that burns methylated or other spirits instead of oil
sunray lamp
a lamp that generates ultraviolet rays , used for obtaining an artificial suntan , for muscular therapy , etc
table lamp
A table lamp is a small electric lamp which stands on a table or other piece of furniture .
bedside lamp
a lamp beside a bed
bracket lamp
a wall light that is attached to the wall by a bracket
daylight lamp
a lamp whose light has a range of wavelengths similar to that of natural sunlight
halogen lamp
a lamp in which light is produced by a tungsten filament heated to incandescence by an electric current . The glass bulb enclosing the filament contains a low pressure of inert gas, usually argon . Sometimes small amounts of a halogen , such as iodine , are added to improve the intensity ( tungsten-halogen lamp )
kerosene lamp
a lamp fuelled by kerosene
lamp bracket
a bracket for holding a lamp
lamp chimney
a glass tube that surrounds the wick in an oil lamp
lamp standard
a tall metal or concrete post supporting a street lamp
paraffin lamp
a lamp which is fuelled by paraffin
reading lamp
A reading lamp is a small lamp that you keep on a desk or table. You can move part of it in order to direct the light to where you need it for reading.
smoking lamp
a lamp lit aboard a ship to indicate when the crew might smoke
standard lamp
A standard lamp is a tall electric light which stands on the floor in a living room .
student lamp
a desk lamp with a movable neck, used for reading , etc
tungsten lamp
a lamp in which light is produced by a tungsten filament heated to incandescence by an electric current. The glass bulb enclosing the filament contains a low pressure of inert gas, usually argon . Sometimes small amounts of a halogen , such as iodine , are added to improve the intensity ( tungsten-halogen lamp )
acetylene lamp
a lamp that works on acetylene
hurricane lamp
a paraffin lamp , with a glass covering to prevent the flame from being blown out
sanctuary lamp
a lamp , usually red, placed in a prominent position in the sanctuary of a church, that when lit indicates the presence of the Blessed Sacrament
fluorescent lamp
a type of lamp in which an electrical gas discharge is maintained in a tube with a thin layer of phosphor on its inside surface. The gas, which is often mercury vapour , emits ultraviolet radiation causing the phosphor to fluoresce
incandescent lamp
a source of light that contains a heated solid , such as an electrically heated filament
mercury-vapor lamp
a discharge lamp containing mercury vapor
quartz-iodine lamp
a type of tungsten-halogen lamp containing small amounts of iodine and having a quartz envelope , operating at high temperature and producing an intense light for use in car headlamps, etc
sodium-vapor lamp
a discharge lamp used for street lighting, fitted with two electrodes and filled with neon and sodium vapor, giving off a soft, yellow light
sodium-vapour lamp
a type of electric lamp consisting of a glass tube containing neon and sodium vapour at low pressure through which an electric current is passed to give an orange light. They are used in street lighting
Chinese translation of 'lamp'
lamp
(læmp)
n(c)
灯(燈) (dēng) (盏, zhǎn)
Quotation
The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime [Lord Grey – Twenty-five Years]