Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A light-emitting device that consists of a gas-filled glass tube or bulb and is used inside electric light fixtures and flashlights.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An evacuated glass bulb containing a metal filament which is heated by electrical resistance to produce light.
  • noun by extension An article that resembles such a bulb and converts electricity to light by any process.
  • noun figuratively Used in reference to the sudden arrival of a realization, an inspiration, an idea, or the like.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

light + bulb, from Middle French bulbe, from Latin bulbus ("bulb, onion"), from Ancient Greek βολβός (bolbos, "plant with round swelling on underground stem").

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Examples

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Comments

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  • Thomas Edison was afraid of the dark.

    May 7, 2008

  • Either that or he really wanted to watch movies. ;)

    May 7, 2008

  • How many Wordies does it take . . .

    September 26, 2008

  • Visit Wordies for that :-)

    September 26, 2008