Illustration of light bulb
- 1 bulb containing gas
- 2 filament
- 3 connecting and supporting wires
- 4 exhaust tube
- 5 screw base
- 6 base contact
light bulb
noun
variants
or lightbulb
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
Examples of light bulb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Palmer devised an even bigger production, ultimately covering a 700-pound ball of iron and wood with 100 light bulbs to descend a pole that stood 50 feet above the 400-foot tower.
—
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
Thomas Edison spent over two years attempting to improve his light bulb.
—Anthony Fredericks, Contributor, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2024
Smart light bulbs Smart light bulbs are a gift that can save the recipient money on their monthly bills, as well as provide another layer of security to any home they are used in.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 7 Dec. 2024
Being Careless with Fragile Items Small light bulbs aren’t the only delicate decor item to consider when packing away.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for light bulb 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
Thomas Edison spent over two years attempting to improve his light bulb.
—Anthony Fredericks, Contributor, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2024
Smart light bulbs Smart light bulbs are a gift that can save the recipient money on their monthly bills, as well as provide another layer of security to any home they are used in.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 7 Dec. 2024
Being Careless with Fragile Items Small light bulbs aren’t the only delicate decor item to consider when packing away.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for light bulb
Dictionary Entries Near light bulb
Cite this Entry
“Light bulb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20bulb. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share