English Explanatory Dictionary

lantern

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A case of translucent or transparent material made to protect a flame, or light, used to illuminate its surroundings.
  2. Especially, a metal casing with lens used to illuminate a stage (e.g. spotlight, floodlight).
  3. An open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light and air to the interior.
  4. A cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open below into the building or tower which it crowns.
  5. A smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one, for ornament, or to admit light.
  6. A lantern pinion or trundle wheel.
  7. A kind of cage inserted in a stuffing box and surrounding a piston rod, to separate the packing into two parts and form a chamber between for the reception of steam, etc.; a lantern brass.
  8. A light formerly used as a signal by a railway guard or conductor at night.
  9. A perforated barrel to form a core upon.
  10. Aristotle's lantern
verb
  1. To furnish with a lantern.
adj
  1. Of a facial feature, large and squarish in shape as an old-fashioned lantern.

Pronunciation

/ˈlæntən/ /ˈlæ̝ntɚn/ en-us-lantern.ogg /ˈleə̯ntɚn/ /ˈlɛə̯ntɚn/

Word forms

lantern lanterns lanthorn lanterning lanterned

Etymology

From Middle English lanterne (13th century), via Old French lanterne from Latin lanterna (“lantern”), itself a corruption of Ancient Greek λαμπτήρ (lamptḗr, “torch”) (see lamp, λάμπω (lámpō)) by influence of Latin lucerna (“lamp”). The spelling lanthorn was current during the 16th to 19th centuries and originates with a folk etymology associating the word with the use of horn as translucent cover. For the verb, compare French lanterner to hang at the lamppost. Displaced native Old English lēohtfæt (literally “light-container”).

Related words

lamp torch

Derived words

blind lantern Chinese lantern crab lantern dark lantern dark-lantern death lantern fairy lantern Fresnel lantern friar's lantern grave lantern hobby lantern hurricane lantern idiot's lantern jack-a-lantern jack-o'-lantern jack-o-lantern Jack-with-a-lantern Japanese lantern lantern beetle lantern berry Lantern Festival lanternfish lantern fish lanternflower lanternfly lantern gear lanternist lantern jaw lantern jawed lantern-jawed lanternless lanternlight lanternlike lantern of the dead lantern roof lanternshark lantern shark lantern shield lantern sleeve lantern slide lantern tower lantern wheel magic lantern magic lantern show neep lantern parish lantern sky lantern storm lantern
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