bulb
UK[bʌlb]US[bʌlb]
n
a round root of some plants from which the plant grows
n
a glass object, often shaped like a pear, that produces light when an electric current passes through it
Etymology
The word 'bulb' entered English in the late 16th century from the Middle French 'bulbe', which itself derived from the Latin 'bulbus', meaning 'bulb, onion'. This Latin term was borrowed from the Greek 'βολβός' (bolbós), which referred to a plant with a swelling underground part, such as an onion or tuber. The core concept of a rounded, swollen object traveled through these languages, leading to its modern botanical meaning and its later application to the rounded glass shape of an electric light source.
Analysis
The word 'bulb' is a simplex loanword from Latin. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
She planted tulip bulbs in the autumn.
The light bulb in the kitchen needs replacing.
Garlic grows from a bulb composed of multiple cloves.