Meaning & use
lampstand
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Meanings
nouncountable
A small stand or support that holds a lamp, especially an oil lamp or a table lamp.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a lampstand or two lampstands.
Patterns
- a lampstand in something
- put something on a lampstand
She set the oil lamp on a brass lampstand beside the bed.
The old lampstand in the corner was made of dark wood.
He polished the lampstand until it shone.
nouncountablereligion
A tall holder for a light, often used in religious buildings such as temples or churches.
Grammar: Countable and often used with religious settings; plural is lampstands.
Patterns
- a golden lampstand
- the lampstand in the temple
A golden lampstand stood at the front of the temple.
The church kept an ancient lampstand near the altar.
Word forms
| plural | lampstands |
|---|
Common combinations
- a brass lampstand
- They bought a brass lampstand at the antique market.
- an oil lamp on a lampstand
- The oil lamp on the lampstand gave a warm light.
- a golden lampstand
- A golden lampstand decorated the temple hall.
- place something on a lampstand
- She placed the candle on a lampstand by the window.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lamp holder
- A more general term for anything that holds a lamp, not necessarily a stand.
- candlestick
- Similar in shape and use, but it holds a candle rather than a lamp.
- light stand
- Used for larger or movable supports, especially in photography or events.
Word family
- lamp noun
- The light source itself, which the lampstand supports.
Commonly confused: lampstand or lampshade?
lampstand vs lampshade
A lampshade covers the light to soften it, while a lampstand supports the lamp from below.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'lampstand' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A lampstand is a support that holds a lamp, so you put a lamp on it. The other options treat it as the light source itself, which is the job of the lamp.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lampstand”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.