Chinese lantern

American  

noun

1. a collapsible lantern of thin, colored paper, often used for decorative lighting.

---

Chinese lantern British  

noun

1. a collapsible lantern made of thin coloured paper

2. an Asian solanaceous plant, Physalis franchetii, cultivated for its attractive orange-red inflated calyx See also winter cherry

---

Etymology

Origin of Chinese lantern

First recorded in 1815–25