Abstract: A zero insertion force socket for a lamp. The lamp socket (10) for a high wattage lamp (12) having lamp pins (14, 16), comprises a substantially solid, parallelepipedonal electrically insulating body (18), preferably of a ceramic material, having two side walls (20, 22), two end walls (24, 26) and a top (28) and a bottom (30) with first and second electrical contact receiving sections (32, 34) formed in the top (28). First and second contact reception areas (34, 36), respectively, are formed in each of the first and second electrical contact receiving sections. An electrical contact (38), is positioned in each of the contact reception areas (34, 36), and each of the electrical contacts (38) has a lamp pin receiver (40) with arms (42, 44). Means (46), for example, a threaded member (58) such as a bolt, is provided for constricting the arms to grasp the lamp pins after insertion into the socket.