Wordwyrt

bulb

/ˈbʌlb/BUHLB
/ˈbʌlb/BUHLB

Meaningan onion-like root

Common meaning: a swollen underground plant base

Other meanings: a lamp

Journey through time

  1. Latinbulbus, -ī‘an onion or similar swollen root’
  2. Frenchbulbe
  3. Englishbulb‘a swollen underground plant base’ · today

bulb also in: bulbous

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin bulbus ‘an onion or similar swollen root’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry bulbus, p. 254 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • bulbus, -ī Latin “an onion or similar swollen root”

Related words

bulbous

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