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definitions

jack-o'-lantern

[ jak-uh-lan-tern ]
/ ˈdʒæk əˌlæn tərn /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR jack-o'-lantern ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a hollowed pumpkin with openings cut to represent human eyes, nose, and mouth and in which a candle or other light may be placed, traditionally made for display at Halloween.
a commercially made lantern resembling this.
any phenomenon of light, as a corona discharge or an ignis fatuus.
a poisonous luminescent orange fungus, Omphalotus olearius, often found in clusters at the base of hardwood tree stumps.

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RELATED WORDS

fruit, squash, vine, gourd, pepo

Nearby words

  1. jack-in-office,
  2. jack-in-the-box,
  3. jack-in-the-green,
  4. jack-in-the-pulpit,
  5. jack-knife,
  6. jack-of-all-trades,
  7. jack-tar,
  8. jack-the-lad,
  9. jack-the-rags,
  10. jack-up

Origin of jack-o'-lantern

First recorded in 1655–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for jack-o'-lantern

jack-o'-lantern

noun

a lantern made from a hollowed pumpkin, which has holes cut in it to represent a human face
a will-o'-the-wisp or similar phenomenon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012