any of a number of devices that produce illumination: an electric lamp, a gas lamp, an oil lamp (in combination): lampshade a device for holding one or more electric light bulbs: a table lamp a vessel in which a liquid fuel is burned to supply illumination any of a variety of devices that produce radiation, esp for therapeutic purposes: an ultraviolet lamp
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
lamp /læmp/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Electricitya device that provides artificial light, as by electricity or gas:a fluorescent lamp; a kerosene lamp.
- Electricitya device that provides heat or other radiation:an infrared lamp.
lamp
(lamp),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
lamp′less, adj.
- Electricityany of various devices furnishing artificial light, as by electricity or gas. Cf. fluorescent lamp, incandescent lamp.
- a container for an inflammable liquid, as oil, which is burned at a wick as a means of illumination.
- a source of intellectual or spiritual light:the lamp of learning.
- Electricityany of various devices furnishing heat, ultraviolet, or other radiation:an infrared lamp.
- a celestial body that gives off light, as the moon or a star.
- a torch.
- Slang Terms lamps, the eyes.
- Idioms smell of the lamp, to give evidence of laborious study or effort:His dissertation smells of the lamp.
v.t.
- Slang Termsto look at;
eye.
- Greek lampás lamp; akin to lámpē torch, lamp, lámpein to shine
- Late Latin lampada, for Latin lampas (stem lampad-)
- Old French
- Middle English lampe 1150–1200
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'sun lamp' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):