tubelight
/ˈt(j)ubˌlaɪt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.22 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Synonym of fluorescent lamp (“a gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light, especially one consisting of a tube filled with mercury vapour which emits ultraviolet radiation when an electric current is passed through it, causing fluorescence when the radiation hits a phosphor coating on the interior of the tube”); also, a light fixture containing one or more fluorescent lamps.
Indian usage
noun
A person who is slow to reply or understand; a dim-witted person.
Indian usage; Derogatory; Slang
Example Sentences
- "Tubelights can be very troublesome at times. They flicker on and on but refuse to glow. One may find to his surprise that while this is the case with his tubelight, his neighbour's tubelight in another apartment of the same block is functioning quite well. The problem is more prevalent in the evenings and is easily traceable to voltage fluctuations."
- ""Sunscreens protect you from UVA/UVB rays which can be emitted from many sources of light such as the sun, your tubelight and devices," Dr [Kaleem] Khan said, adding that using sunscreen once a day is the bare minimum you can do for your skin."
- "And Modiji [Narendra Modi], also being Snarkyji, described Rahulji [Rahul Gandhi] as a tubelight because Rahulji had interjected only a good 40 minutes after Modiji had launched into his Parliamentary speech. […] CFL bulbs and LED lamps have now taken the place of tubelights, and younger citizens may not be aware of what makes a tubelight a tubelight. It's the flickering, slow response, stupid!"
Etymology
From tube + light. Sense 2 (“dim-witted person”) refers to the tendency of some fluorescent tubes to flicker as well as the length of time it takes for some to light up completely after being switched on, which is likened to a person whose knowledge is inconsistent or who takes time to understand things.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈt(j)ubˌlaɪt/
- British English: /ˈtjuːbˌlaɪt/
Usage
Inflected Forms
tubelights (plural)
tube light (alternative)