slave of the lamp

English[edit]

slave of the lamp (plural slaves of the lamp)

(fiction) A genie who is imprisoned in a lamp, as in the tale of Aladdin.
- 1971, W. K. C. Guthrie, The Sophists, page 25:
  In the eyes of Gorgias "the word" was a despot who could do anything, but like a slave of the lamp it would be at the service of those who took his courses.
(figuratively) A person who does what is bid, or is obliged to do as bid; something that dutifully performs virtually any task.
- 1866, John Cargill Brough, The Fairy Tales of Science, page 306:
  The miracles wrought by this slave of the lamp transcend all the wonders conceived by the oriental romancists.
(humorous) A person who works by lamplight, or works with electrical apparatus.
- 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 174:
  These "slaves of the lamp," as they used to be called, owing to the flash-light instrument upon which they sent the messages, had an equal number of hours on and off duty, and in their leisure hours spent their time in boating.
- 2022, Albert V. Harmon, Large Fees and How to Get Them: A book for the private use of physicians:
  No more midnight oil — for why should he be a slave of the lamp? No more worry.