lantern

[ lan-tern ]

/ ˈlæn tərn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lantern ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a transparent or translucent, usually portable, case for enclosing a light and protecting it from the wind, rain, etc.

the chamber at the top of a lighthouse, surrounding the light.

magic lantern.

Architecture.

a tall, more or less open construction admitting light to an enclosed area below.
any light, decorative structure of relatively small size crowning a roof, dome, etc.
an open-sided structure on a roof to let out smoke or to assist ventilation.

a light, usually over the entrance to an elevator on each floor of a multistory building, that signals the approach of the elevator.

Nearby words

Origin of lantern

1250–1300; Middle English lanterne < Latin lanterna (< Etruscan) < Greek lamptḗr lamp, light

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lantern

Our first episode will really hang a lantern on everything being reset, and they just go right back to who they were.
'Archer Creator Adam Reed on 'Vice,' Season 6's 'Unreboot,' and New Characters|Marlow Stern|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A quarter of an hour after that, Blangin reappeared, holding a lantern and an enormous bunch of keys in his hands.
Within an Inch of His Life|Emile Gaboriau
Above the actual dome is the Golden Gallery, and then the lantern, roofed with a dome bearing the ball and cross.
The Cathedrals of Great Britain|P. H. Ditchfield
The lens is surrounded by a metal case or lantern, in which is placed the electric lamp upon a slide for focussing.
Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare|C. W. Sleeman

Then the welcome gleam of a lantern flooded to him along the frosty floor.
The Harbor Master|Theodore Goodridge Roberts
His lantern darkened as I turned my head; next moment I felt his breath upon the back of my neck.
A Thief in the Night|E. W. Hornung

British Dictionary definitions for lantern

lantern

/ (ˈlæntən) /

noun

a light with a transparent or translucent protective case

a structure on top of a dome or roof having openings or windows to admit light or air

the upper part of a lighthouse that houses the light

photog short for magic lantern

Word Origin for lantern

C13: from Latin lanterna, from Greek lamptēr lamp, from lampein to shine

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

Word Origin and History for lantern

lantern

mid-13c., from Old French lanterne "lamp, lantern, light" (12c.), from Latin lanterna "lantern, lamp, torch," altered (by influence of Latin lucerna "lamp") from Greek lampter "torch," from lampein "to shine" (see lamp). Variant lanthorn (16c.-19c.) was folk etymology based on the common use of horn as a translucent cover. Lantern-jaws "hollow, long cheeks" is from a resemblance noted since at least mid-14c.