flashbulb

American  

[flash-buhlb] / ˈflæʃˌbʌlb /

Or flash bulb

noun

Photography.

1. a glass bulb, filled with oxygen and aluminum or zirconium wire or foil, which, when ignited electrically, burns with a brilliant flash to provide momentary illumination of a subject.

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flashbulb British  

/ ˈflæʃˌbʌlb /

noun

1. Also called: photoflash.  photog a small expendable glass light bulb formerly used to produce a bright flash of light Compare electronic flash

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Etymology

Origin of flashbulb

First recorded in 1930–35; flash + bulb

Example Sentences

Suddenly, here he was, clean through on goal: the best player in the world, the hometown icon who has come to symbolize P.S.G.’s ambition, prowess, excess and hubris, his flashbulb moment at his fingertips.

From New York Times • May 10, 2024

A flashbulb was always startling, imprinting itself on the eyes of its subject, reminding them that their image, this moment was now in some way permanent.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2022

The Kodak Flashcube—a rotating cube with a miniature flashbulb incarcerated within each of its four mirrored compartments—made amateur photography of the domestic interior possible from the mid-1960s onwards.

From Slate • Dec. 21, 2021

Researchers found that "Inconsistent flashbulb memories were more likely to be repeated rather than corrected over the 10-year period."

From Salon • Sep. 8, 2021

The prints, not noticeable to the naked eye, registered on film; indeed, the delineating glare of a flashbulb had revealed their presence with superb exactness.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote