Definition

1. Noun:
   • A device that produces light: A lamp is an object, often portable or placed on furniture, that uses electricity, oil, or another fuel to provide illumination.
   • A source of light or inspiration: In a figurative sense, a lamp can represent a source of intellectual or spiritual guidance.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She switched on the lamp to read her book.
  • The street was lit by old gas lamps.
  • His teachings were a lamp to guide us through difficult times.

Advanced Usage

• "to smell of the lamp": (idiom, literary) To show signs of laborious, overnight study or effort, often making a piece of writing seem labored or unnatural.
  • The essay was well-researched but unfortunately smelled of the lamp.

Variants and Related Words

• Lampshade (n): A decorative covering that softens or directs the light from a lamp.
  • The fabric lampshade created a warm glow in the room.
• Lamplight (n): The light produced by a lamp.
  • He worked late into the night by lamplight.

Synonyms

• Light: A general term for a source of illumination.
• Lantern: A portable lamp, often with a protective case.

Phrasal Verbs / Related Phrases

• To lamp (verb, slang): To look at or observe.
  • He lamped the stranger suspiciously from across the room.

Related Idioms

• To pass the lamp: To contribute to the advancement of knowledge or a cause.
  • Each generation must pass the lamp of wisdom to the next.

Noun

1. a piece of furniture holding one or more electric light bulbs
2. an artificial source of visible illumination