lamppost

Everyday

1. A lamppost is a tall post in a street or park with a light at the top that comes on when it gets dark. tree →
2. Lampposts are also used to hold signs, posters and bins. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life lampposts light roads and paths at night and help people see where they are going; in safety lessons children learn to walk where it is well lit. In stories a lamppost may mark a meeting place (as in the Narnia story, where the lamppost stands in a snowy wood). Phrases: "under the lamppost", "lean against a lamppost", "lost dog poster on a lamppost".

Examples

• We met under the lamppost at the corner of our street. tree →
• A poster about a lost cat was taped to the lamppost. tree →
• The lampposts come on when it gets dark. tree →
• In the book, Lucy finds a lamppost glowing in the snowy wood. tree →
• Dad bumped into a lamppost while looking at his phone. tree →
• The council is replacing old lampposts with bright LED ones. tree →
• There are twelve lampposts along the path, one every 20 metres. tree →
• "It's much more like the lampposts on the Thames Embankment," said George, who had noticed a curly thing like a tail that went twisting up the North Pole. tree →

Note

Countable: one lamppost, two lampposts. Also written "lamp post" or "lamp-post"; all three are correct. It is the same thing as a streetlight or street lamp. In a maths problem about lampposts in a row, remember the gaps: 5 lampposts in a straight line make 4 gaps between them.