Definition of Incandescent light bulb

The incandescent light bulb (also spelled lightbulb) or incandescent lamp is a source of artificial light that works by incandescence. An electrical current passes through a thin filament, heating it until it produces light. The enclosing glass bulb prevents the oxygen in air from reaching the hot filament, which otherwise would be destroyed rapidly by oxidation. Incandescent bulbs are also called electric lamps, a term originally applied to the original arc lamps, and in Australia they are commonly called light globes.