Added 9 October 2026
lightbulb
/ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lightbulb at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Electric lamp consisting of a transparent or translucent glass housing containing a wire filament (usually tungsten) that emits light when heated by electricity.
Origin
Calque from Cantonese 電燈泡／电灯泡 (din6 dang1 paau1), as though the third person is a light bulb in the background.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)