What does "bulb" mean?
The bulb-shaped underground portion of a plant such as a tulip, consisting of a shortened stem and many fleshy scale leaves, from which the rest of the plant may be regrown.
Bulb
/ˈbʌlb/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The bulb-shaped underground portion of a plant such as a tulip, consisting of a shortened stem and many fleshy scale leaves, from which the rest of the plant may be regrown.
- Grammar: bulb is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: light bulb, ball, balloon, bilge.
- Useful contrasts: corm, corms, stalk.
- Usage evidence: Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
How to use "bulb"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bulb" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bulb" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bulb" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bulb" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bulb" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "light bulb" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bulb", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The bulb-shaped underground portion of a plant such as a tulip, consisting of a shortened stem and many fleshy scale leaves, from which the rest of the plant may be regrown.
"the plants which grow in the earth from seed or bulbs."
- 2 a rounded part of a cylindrical instrument (usually at one end) wordnet
- 3 The medulla oblongata. dated
- 4 electric lamp consisting of a transparent or translucent glass housing containing a wire filament (usually tungsten) that emits light when heated by electricity wordnet
- 5 Any solid object rounded at one end and tapering on the other, possibly attached to a larger object at the tapered end.
"the bulb of the aorta"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a rounded dilation or expansion in a canal or vessel or organ wordnet
- 7 Any solid object rounded at one end and tapering on the other, possibly attached to a larger object at the tapered end.; A light bulb (not necessarily bulbous in shape).
"an incandescent bulb"
- 8 lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; (‘bulb’ is an old term for medulla oblongata) wordnet
- 9 A bulbous protuberance at the forefoot of certain vessels to reduce turbulence.
- 10 a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure wordnet
- 11 An onion. obsolete
- 12 anything with a round shape resembling a teardrop wordnet
Verb
- 1 To take the shape of a bulb; to swell. intransitive
Example
"Thomas Edison invented the light bulb."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bulb"?
Common synonyms include: light bulb, ball, balloon, bilge, bladder, blain.
How do you use "bulb" in a sentence?
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.
How do you pronounce "bulb"?
Pronounced /ˈbʌlb/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek βολβός (bolbós)bor. Latin bulbusder. English bulb Inherited from Middle English bulb, bolbe, from Latin bulbus (“bulb, onion”), from Ancient Greek βολβός (bolbós, “plant with round swelling on underground stem”).