Bude Light
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: Gurney Light
Meaning · English
A very bright light obtained by supplying an argand gas-jet with oxygen, invented by Sir Goldsworthy Gurney (1793-1875) about 1834, and first used in a lighthouse at Bude, Cornwall.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Bude Light” mean?
A very bright light obtained by supplying an argand gas-jet with oxygen, invented by Sir Goldsworthy Gurney (1793-1875) about 1834, and first used in a lighthouse at Bude, Cornwall.
Is “Bude Light” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.