Collins English-English Dictionary

bulb [b^lb]

1. 1. n a rounded organ of vegetative reproduction in plants such as the tulip and onion: a flattened stem bearing a central shoot surrounded by fleshy nutritive inner leaves and thin brown outer leaves - Compare corm

2. 2. n bulbous bow a bulbous protuberance at the forefoot of a ship to reduce turbulence

3. 3. n a plant, such as a hyacinth or daffodil, that grows from a bulb

4. 4. n See light bulb

5. 5. n a rounded part of an instrument such as a syringe or thermometer

6. 6. n [anatomy] a rounded expansion of a cylindrical organ or part, such as the medulla oblongata

7. 7. n [Etymology] C16: from Latin bulbus, from Greek bolbos onion