English Explanatory Dictionary

bulb

English dictionary entry

Meanings

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.
  2. The medulla oblongata.
  3. Any solid object rounded at one end and tapering on the other, possibly attached to a larger object at the tapered end.
  4. A light bulb (not necessarily bulbous in shape).
  5. A bulbous protuberance at the forefoot of certain vessels to reduce turbulence.
  6. An onion.
verb
  1. To take the shape of a bulb; to swell.

Pronunciation

bŭlb /ˈbʌlb/ /ˈbʌb/ en-us-bulb.ogg

Word forms

bulb bulbs bulbing bulbed

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”).

Related words

bulbiferous bulbil bulbous

Derived words

bulbar bulbectomy bulbhead bulbheaded bulb horn bulbitis bulbless bulblet bulblike bulboid bulbophile bulb-out bulb tee bulby bus bulb dim-bulb dim bulb dry bulb temperature dry-bulb temperature Edison bulb endbulb flashbulb gliobulb hair bulb hemibulb hot bulb lamp-bulb lamp bulb light bulb Mandelbulb not the brightest bulb not the brightest bulb in the chandelier pseudobulb rebulb tulip bulb urethral bulb wet-and-dry-bulb hygrometer wet bulb wet-bulb wet bulbing wet-bulb temperature wet bulb temperature

Translations

Chinese Mandarin: 泡 Dutch: bol Finnish: kupu French: bulbe Greek: βολβός Ido: bulbo Luhya: eglopu Malayalam: ബൾബ് Portuguese: bulbo Romanian: bulb Russian: утолще́ние Russian: вы́пуклость Russian: ша́рик Spanish: bulbo Swahili: glopu
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