Meaning & use
lava lamp
Last updated
UK/ˈlɑːvə ˌlæmp/
US/ˈlɑːvə ˌlæmp/
Meaning
nouncountable
A decorative lamp containing colored wax that slowly rises and sinks in liquid when warmed.
Grammar: Ordinary countable noun: a lava lamp.
He bought a lava lamp for his bedroom.
The lava lamp glowed purple in the dark.
A lava lamp takes about an hour to warm up.
Word forms
| plural | lava lamps |
|---|
Common combinations
- switch on a lava lamp
- She switched on the lava lamp.
- retro lava lamp
- A retro lava lamp sat on the shelf.
- watch the lava lamp
- We watched the lava lamp bubble.
- glowing lava lamp
- A glowing lava lamp lit the room.
- lava lamp wax
- The lava lamp wax turned blue.
Synonyms and how they differ
- night light
- A night light is a small lamp for dark rooms, not a decoration that moves.
- mood lamp
- Mood lamp is any lamp that sets a feel.
- table lamp
- A table lamp is plain and has no moving wax.
- novelty lamp
- Novelty lamp is a broader category.
Word family
Commonly confused: lava lamp or lava?
lava lamp vs lava
Real lava is molten rock; the lamp only imitates its look.
Practice
What happens inside a lava lamp?
Choose one answer.
The warmed wax rises and sinks.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lava lamp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.