bulbs

IPA/bʌlb/
KK[bˈʌlbz]IPA/bʌlb/

bulbs — noun

  • bulbssingular
  • bulbsesplural

1. the rounded underground parts of some plants that store food and later grow into

1.nounB1
Definition

the rounded underground parts of some plants that store food and later grow into flowers or leaves

Example

Lucía planted tulip bulbs along the path before the first frost.

plant bulbs before frost

Kenji kept the onion bulbs in a dry basket near the door.

store bulbs in a dry place

Common collocations
  • tulip bulbs
  • lily bulbs
  • onion bulbs
  • plant bulbs
  • store bulbs
  • spring bulbs
Synonyms
  • corms

    similar underground storage parts, but usually solid inside rather than layered

  • tubers

    thicker underground storage parts such as potatoes, with a different growth pattern

  • rhizomes

    underground stems that spread sideways instead of forming a rounded body

Grammar Patterns

plant bulbs in autumn

store bulbs over winter

spring bulbs

Usage Note

Often used after plant names or numbers, especially in gardening talk. These bulbs are the parts planted in soil, not the whole plant above the ground.

Common Mistakes

I planted three bulb in October.
I planted three bulbs in October.
Use the plural form after numbers.

2. the round glass ends of thermometers where the measuring liquid sits before it r

2.nounB2
Definition

the round glass ends of thermometers where the measuring liquid sits before it rises in the tube

Example

The teacher compared the bulbs of two thermometers beside the window.

bulbs of two thermometers

Tiny cracks in the bulbs made the old thermometers unsafe to use.

cracked thermometer bulbs

Common collocations
  • thermometer bulbs
  • glass bulbs
  • cracked bulbs
  • bulbs in water
Synonyms
  • reservoirs

    a more technical word for the liquid-holding part of an instrument

Grammar Patterns

the bulbs of two thermometers

keep the bulbs in water

cracked thermometer bulbs

Usage Note

Usually mentioned as part of a thermometer, not as a separate object. The bulb is the sealed end that holds the liquid before it moves up the narrow tube.

3. the soft rounded ends of droppers or similar tubes that you press to pull liquid

3.nounB2
Definition

the soft rounded ends of droppers or similar tubes that you press to pull liquid or air in and out

Example

Adina squeezed the rubber bulbs to fill the droppers with blue dye.

squeeze bulbs to fill droppers

Before the lesson, the bulbs were soaking in warm soapy water.

Common collocations
  • rubber bulbs
  • squeeze bulbs
  • cracked bulbs
  • bulbs on droppers
Synonyms
  • squeeze bulbs

    a fuller technical label often used in laboratory or medical descriptions

Grammar Patterns

squeeze the bulbs

rubber bulbs on droppers

replace cracked bulbs

Usage Note

Usually attached to droppers or other narrow tubes. Pressing the bulb pushes air out, and releasing it pulls liquid or air back in.

Common Mistakes

She pushed the tube to draw up the medicine.
She squeezed the bulb to draw up the medicine.
In this tool sense, the soft bulb is the part you press.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In gardening, bulbs are underground storage parts that also hold a bud ready to grow into a new plant. They are often compared with corms, tubers, and rhizomes, but those are not the same thing. A corm is solid inside, while a bulb usually has fleshy layers or scales around the center. A tuber, such as a potato, is thicker and grows from several eyes rather than one main growing point. A rhizome spreads sideways under the soil instead of forming one rounded body. In casual speech, gardeners sometimes call several of these bulbs, but careful gardening writing keeps the terms separate. Tulips and lilies grow from bulbs, while potatoes grow from tubers.

bulbs ↗corms ↗tubers ↗rhizomes

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Bulb came into English from Latin bulbus, which itself goes back to Greek bolbos, a word for an onion or a rounded root. The basic picture is a swollen round base, and English later extended that shape idea from plants to round ends on tools and instruments. Bulbs is simply the plural form used when more than one is being discussed.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a