lampshade

lampshade — noun

1. a cover, usually made of cloth, glass, or paper, that fits over a light bulb to

1.nounB1
Definition

a cover, usually made of cloth, glass, or paper, that fits over a light bulb to soften its glow or direct the light to where it is needed

Example

Aiko bought a striped fabric lampshade for the reading lamp in her study.

collocation: fabric lampshade / paper lampshade / glass lampshade — material-noun pattern

The glass lampshade on the dining table cast a warm glow over the dinner plates.

passive positioning: the [material] lampshade on [location] — typical descriptive frame

Common collocations
  • fabric lampshade
  • glass lampshade
  • paper lampshade
  • silk lampshade
  • metal lampshade
  • replace the lampshade
  • clean the lampshade
  • adjust the lampshade
  • fit a lampshade
Synonyms
  • shade

    shortened form; common in everyday US speech, but can also refer to window shades or sun protection

  • lamp cover

    more literal and less common in natural speech; useful when explaining the object to a learner

  • light shade

    chiefly British English; less common in American usage

Grammar Patterns

often preceded by material adjective (fabric, glass, paper)

Usage Note

Can be used with a material noun as an adjective before it — e.g. paper lampshade, silk lampshade, glass lampshade. The material is one of the most common ways to describe this object.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy a lamp shade cover for my new light.
I need to buy a lampshade for my new lamp.
'lampshade' is one word and already means a cover; adding 'cover' is redundant.

Word family

  • lamp
    nounA2
  • shade
    nounB1
  • shaded
    adjectiveB2
  • shady
    adjectiveB2
  • lamppost
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Shade is the most common everyday word in American English — you might say 'the lamp needs a new shade' in casual conversation, but it can also mean a window shade or sunshade. Lamp cover is more literal and instructional but sounds unnatural in routine speech. Light shade is the usual term in British English for what Americans call a lampshade. Globe refers specifically to a round glass cover, usually on ceiling fixtures or outdoor lights, rather than a shaped fabric or paper shade. In Taiwan, 燈罩 (dēngzhào) covers all these types, so the choice depends on the variety of English a learner wants to use: shade for casual US speech, light shade for UK contexts, and globe only when the cover is a clear round glass ball.

shade ↗lamp coverlight shadeglobe ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fit a lampshade
  • change a lampshade
  • take off the lampshade
  • put back the lampshade

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinGreekEnglish

Lampshade is a compound word formed from lamp and shade. Lamp comes from Old French lampe, which traces back through Latin lampas to Greek λαμπάς (lampas), meaning torch. Shade comes from Old English sceadu, meaning shadow or darkness. The word lampshade first appeared in English around the late 1700s when indoor oil lamps became common enough that people wanted covers to soften or direct their light.