a device with a bulb that makes light, usually powered by electricity and often standing on a table, fixed to a wall, or hanging from a ceiling
Sofia turned on the lamp beside her bed to read.
The power went out, so we used a battery lamp to find our way.
✦ From Middle English lampe, borrowed from Old French, from Latin lampas "torch, light", from Ancient Greek λαμπάς (lampás) "torch".
a container that burns oil, kerosene, or another fuel to give light, often made of metal or clay and used before electric lighting
The archaeologists discovered a clay lamp from ancient Rome.
During the camping trip, we lit an oil lamp to cook dinner.
✦ Same historical roots as the electric sense, but referring to earlier fuel-burning devices.
an acronym for a set of open-source software—Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP—commonly used together to host websites and web applications
The developer chose a LAMP server to keep costs low.
Many popular forums still run on the classic LAMP stack.
✦ Formed in the late 1990s from the initial letters of Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP to describe a common free software solution for web hosting.
a tool that holds parts firmly together by applying pressure
The carpenter tightened the clamp to keep the boards together while the glue dried.
Use a clamp to stop the hose from leaking.
✦ From Middle English clompe “lump, mass” and Old English clamm “bond, fetter,” eventually shifting to mean a device for holding things together.
to fasten or hold something firmly in place using a clamp
He clamped the two pieces of wood together before painting them.
Make sure the hose is clamped securely to prevent leaks.
✦ Verb use comes from the noun sense of a holding device, first recorded in the 18th century.
