lampshade

American  

[lamp-sheyd] / ˈlæmpˌʃeɪd /

noun

1. a shade, usually translucent or opaque, for shielding the glare of a light source in a lamp or for directing the light to a particular area.

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Etymology

Origin of lampshade

First recorded in 1840–50; lamp + shade

Explanation

A lampshade is a decorative cover that diffuses a lightbulb's brightness. Besides looking pretty, lampshades also prevent a light's glare from temporarily blinding you. If the naked bulb on your lamp casts a stark and blinding light, try putting a lampshade on top. This device does just what its name implies, shading the lamp's light in a pleasant way. Lampshades can be made of fabric, plastic, glass, or paper, and they come in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Early 20th-century vaudeville performers created the enduring trope of a man with a lampshade on his head as the wacky life of the party.

Example Sentences

Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch described the scattering of tiny craters across the daytime side proudly reflecting sunlight, like pinpricks in a lampshade.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

After her mother died, Ms Kynaston and her siblings thought it would be a good time to find a new home for the lampshade piece.

From BBC • May 5, 2025

While many of the designs took Burch out of her comfort zone, the one that stood out was the hooded sweater with orange lampshade skirt.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

In a video released by his campaign in August 2020, Biden is seen backing the car into the garage, where a messy pile of materials appears to include a cardboard box and a lampshade.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2023

The skirt was a green dirndl with tiny black, white and electric-blue shapes swarming across it, and it stuck out like a lampshade.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath