light bulb

---

Etymology

From light + bulb First attested in 1885.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/

Noun

light bulb (plural light bulbs)

1. An evacuated glass bulb containing a metal filament which is heated by electrical resistance to produce light.

   Synonyms: bulb, glow-lamp, incandescent lamp, light globe

2. (by extension) An article that resembles such a bulb and converts electricity to light by any process.

   a fluorescent light bulb

   an LED light bulb

3. (figuratively) Used in reference to the sudden arrival of a realization, an inspiration, an idea, or the like.

   a light bulb moment

Translations

• French: ampoule, lampe, ampoule électrique
• German: Glühbirne, Glühlampe, Birne
• Italian: lampadina
• Portuguese: lâmpada, foco, bulbo
• Russian: ла́мпа нака́ливания
• Spanish: ampolleta (Chile), bombilla (Spain), bombillo (Caribbean Islands), bujía (Nicaragua), foco (Bolivia), lamparita (Argentina)

Translations

• Portuguese: lâmpada

---

This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.002