incandescent lamp
 白熱燈泡
 Lamp n.
 1. A light-producing vessel, device, instrument or apparatus; formerly referring especially to a vessel with a wick used for the combustion of oil or other inflammable liquid, for the purpose of producing artificial light; also, a similar device using a gas as the combustible fuel; now referring mainly to an electric lamp.  See sense 3.
 2. Figuratively, anything which enlightens intellectually or morally; anything regarded metaphorically a performing the uses of a lamp.
    Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.   --Ps. cxix. 105.
    Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appeared.   --Cowper.
 3. Elec. A device or mechanism for producing light by electricity, usually having a glass bulb or tube containing the light-emitting element.  Most lamps belong to one of two categories, the Incandescent lamp (See under Incandescent) or the fluorescent lamp.  However, see also arc lamp, below.
 Aeolipile lamp, a hollow ball of copper containing alcohol which is converted into vapor by a lamp beneath, so as to make a powerful blowpipe flame when the vapor is ignited. --Weale.
 Arc lamp Elec., a form of lamp in which the voltaic arc is used as the source of light.
 Dëbereiner's lamp, an apparatus for the instantaneous production of a flame by the spontaneous ignition of a jet of hydrogen on being led over platinum sponge; -- named after the German chemist Döbereiner, who invented it. Called also philosopher's lamp.
 Flameless lamp, an aphlogistic lamp.
 Lamp burner, the part of a lamp where the wick is exposed and ignited. --Knight.
 Lamp fount, a reservoir for oil, in a lamp.
 Lamp jack. See 2d Jack, n., 4 (l) & (n).
 Lamp shade, a screen, as of paper, glass, or tin, for softening or obstructing the light of a lamp.
 Lamp shell Zool., any brachiopod shell of the genus Terebratula and allied genera. The name refers to the shape, which is like that of an antique lamp. See Terebratula.
 Safety lamp, a miner's lamp in which the flame is surrounded by fine wire gauze, preventing the kindling of dangerous explosive gases; -- called also, from Sir Humphry Davy the inventor, Davy lamp.
 To smell of the lamp, to bear marks of great study and labor, as a literary composition.
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 Tung·sten lamp. An electric glow lamp having filaments of metallic tungsten, and contained in a glass bulb which is evacuated or has an inert gas, to avoid oxidation of the tungsten; a common form of light bulb. Such lamps, owing to the refractory nature of the metal, may be maintained at a very high temperature and require an expenditure of only about 1.25 watts per candle power, depending on the total wattage and the design of the bulb.  By mid-20th century tungsten lamps became the most common type of incandescent (as contrasted with fluorescent) lamp; thus the phrase incandescent lamp or incandescent light typically refers to a tungsten lamp.
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 In·can·des·cent a.  White, glowing, or luminous, with intense heat; as, incandescent carbon or platinum; hence, clear; shining; brilliant.
    Holy Scripture become resplendent; or, as one might say, incandescent throughout.   --I. Taylor.
 Incandescent lamp, Incandescent light, Incandescent light bulb Elec., a kind of lamp in which the light is produced by a thin filament of conducting material, now usually tungsten, but originally carbon, contained in a vacuum or an atmosphere of inert gas within a glass bulb, and heated to incandescence by an electric current. It was inventerd by Thomas Edison, and was once called the Edison lamp; -- called also incandescence lamp, and glowlamp.  This is one of the two most common sources of electric light, the other being the fluorescent light, fluorescent lamp or fluorescent bulb.
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 incandescent lamp
      n : electric lamp consisting of a glass bulb containing a wire
          filament (usually tungsten) that emits light when heated
          [syn: light bulb, lightbulb, bulb, electric light,
           electric-light bulb]