Meanings
lightbulb1
plural lightbulbs
- alternativeAlternative 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.
2003 June 7, Edward Tenner, “'Our Own Devices'”, in The New York Times
lightbulb2
plural lightbulbs
- SingaporecolloquialAn 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.
2011 October 23, Heidy The Traveler, Learn Singlish a Bit!2 more examples
When she finally came out her friend joined us. Damn lightbulb leh!
2014 August 3, Chris Soh, 20 Words That Mean Something Completely Different to SingaporeansBeing an extra big light bulb and eating with two cousins and their husband and fiance.
2014, carolcraves, "https://twitter.com/carolcraves/status/429233427863183360", Twitter, 31 January 2014Synonyms: gooseberry, third wheel
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn uninvited third person joining a couple's date who prevents or hinders romantic interactions.
More synonyms by meaning
nounelectric lamp consisting of a transparent or translucent glass housing containing a wire filament (usually tungsten) that emits light when heated by electricity
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Calque from Cantonese 電燈泡／电灯泡 (din6 dang1 paau1), as though the third person is a light bulb in the background.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
lightbulb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightbulb
“lightbulb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightbulb. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lightbulb,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightbulb.
Source: lightbulb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.