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

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Chinese lantern

Shuey Rhon Rhon, a Chinese lantern child, is the mascot for the Paralympics and sometimes appears with Bing Dwen Dwen.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2022

Outside, the bar has an intricate, six-sided, 70-year-old neon Chinese lantern, one that appears in Orson Welles’s 1947 film “Lady from Shanghai.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2019

The bullet struck a Chinese lantern near where the president was standing and passed within three feet of Grant’s head.

From Time ● Jul. 20, 2015

The giant red cylinder, aglow like a Chinese lantern, perches on the edge of East Lake where Mao Tse-tung loved to spend summers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2014

Before they went to bed, Mo pulled back the curtains so they could see it—a brightly colored Chinese lantern among all the white stars.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---