Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of electric lamp: A sodium-vapor lamp is a lamp in which an electric current is passed through a tube containing sodium vapor, producing a characteristic yellow light. It is commonly used for street lighting.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The city replaced the old mercury-vapor lights with more efficient sodium-vapor lamps.
  • The orange glow from the sodium-vapor lamp illuminated the empty road.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: In discussions of lighting technology, urban planning, or energy efficiency, "sodium-vapor lamp" specifies the type of gas-discharge lamp.
  • High-pressure sodium-vapor lamps have better color rendering than low-pressure ones.

Variants and Related Words

• Sodium lamp (n): A common shortened form for "sodium-vapor lamp."
  • The parking lot was lit by sodium lamps.
• Sodium-vapor light (n): Another term referring to the illumination produced by or the fixture containing such a lamp.
  • The sodium-vapor light cast long shadows.

Synonyms

• Gas-discharge lamp: A broader category of lamps that includes sodium-vapor, mercury-vapor, and metal-halide types.
• Street lamp / Streetlight: A general term for outdoor lighting, which may be powered by sodium-vapor lamps.

Related Phrases

• High-pressure sodium (HPS): A specific, common type of sodium-vapor lamp.
  • High-pressure sodium fixtures are widely used in roadway lighting.
• Low-pressure sodium (LPS): Another type, known for its monochromatic yellow light and high efficiency.
  • Low-pressure sodium lamps are sometimes used in areas where light pollution must be minimized.

Noun

1. lamp in which an electric current passed through a tube of sodium vapor makes a yellow light; used is street lighting