Sāfe'ty-lŭmp, n.

n. A lamp surrounded with a cylinder of wire gauze, to give light in mines, without the danger of setting fire to inflammable gases;— invented by Sir Humphry Davy. [See Illust. under Lamp.]

“When it is immersed in an explosive atmosphere, such as that of a coal mine infected by fire damp, the inflammable gas enters from without and burns in the cage; but in consequence of the cooling power of the wire gauze, no flame can pass outward so as to ignite the surrounding atmosphere; the miner, therefore, is warned of his danger by the appearance of the lamp.” Brande.