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lightbulb

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lightbulb¹

noun lightbulbs

  1. alternative Alternative form of light bulb A young orangutan in the San Diego Zoo became famous for unbolting the screening of his crib, removing the wires, and moving through the zoo nursery, unscrewing lightbulbs.

lightbulb²

  • /ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/ UK, US

Where it comes from

Calque from Cantonese 電燈泡／电灯泡 (din6 dang1 paau1), as though the third person is a light bulb in the background.

noun lightbulbs

  1. Singapore, colloquial An uninvited third person joining a couple's date who prevents or hinders romantic interactions. You two go ahead lah, I don't want to be lightbulb.

    Similar: gooseberry, third wheel

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Cite this
MLA

"lightbulb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lightbulb. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

lightbulb. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lightbulb

Chicago

"lightbulb." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lightbulb.

BibTeX
@misc{lightbulb_2026,
  title = {lightbulb},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lightbulb},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}