Definition

Noun: * An electric heater that uses a high-power incandescent lamp to produce warmth. Its primary function is to emit infrared radiation, which heats objects and people directly rather than the surrounding air.

Usage

A "heat lamp" is used to provide focused, radiant heat. It is commonly found in specific settings: * In homes, often in bathrooms for personal warmth. * In commercial or industrial settings, such as restaurants to keep food warm. * In animal husbandry, to provide warmth for young animals like chicks or reptiles in terrariums.

Examples

• The restaurant uses a heat lamp to keep the plated meals warm before serving.
• We installed a heat lamp in the bathroom for comfort on cold mornings.
• The reptile keeper placed a heat lamp over one end of the terrarium to create a temperature gradient.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any intense, focused source of heat or scrutiny.
  • Sitting under the media's heat lamp, the celebrity found the interview uncomfortable.

Variants and Related Words

• Infrared lamp: A more technical term often used synonymously with "heat lamp," emphasizing the type of radiation emitted.
• Brooder lamp: A specific type of heat lamp designed for keeping young poultry warm.

Synonyms

• Infrared heater
• Radiant heater

Related Phrases

• Under the heat lamp: An idiomatic expression meaning to be subjected to intense scrutiny or pressure.
  • The CEO was under the heat lamp during the shareholder meeting.

Noun

1. electric heater consisting of a high-power incandescent lamp that emits infrared radiation
   • the bathroom could be warmed by an infrared lamp