| 1. | Botany.
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| 2. | any round, enlarged part, esp. at the end of a cylindrical object: the bulb of a thermometer. |
| 3. | Electricity.
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| 4. | Anatomy. any of various small, bulb-shaped structures or protuberances: olfactory bulb; bulb of urethra. |
| 5. | medulla oblongata. |
| 6. | Building Trades. a rounded thickening at the toe of an angle iron or tee. |
| 7. | Nautical. a cylindrical or spherical prominence at the forefoot of certain vessels. |
| 8. | Photography. a shutter setting in which the shutter remains open as long as the shutter release is depressed. Symbol: B |

bulb (bŭlb)
n.
A globular or fusiform anatomical structure or enlargement.
| bulb (bŭlb) Pronunciation Key
A rounded underground storage organ that contains the shoot of a new plant. A bulb consists of a short stem surrounded by fleshy scales (modified leaves) that store nourishment for the new plant. Tulips, lilies, and onions grow from bulbs. Compare corm, rhizome, runner, tuber. |