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lantern

[lan-tern]
See more synonyms for lantern on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a transparent or translucent, usually portable, case for enclosing a light and protecting it from the wind, rain, etc.
  2. the chamber at the top of a lighthouse, surrounding the light.
  3. magic lantern.
  4. Architecture.
    1. a tall, more or less open construction admitting light to an enclosed area below.
    2. any light, decorative structure of relatively small size crowning a roof, dome, etc.
    3. an open-sided structure on a roof to let out smoke or to assist ventilation.
  5. a light, usually over the entrance to an elevator on each floor of a multistory building, that signals the approach of the elevator.
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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. 2018

Related Words

beacon, torch, flashlight, light, searchlight, gaslight

Examples from the Web for lantern

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • There, by the light of a lantern, he and Jud made Andrew as comfortable as possible.

  • He got up from his chair, lighted a lantern, and went outside.

  • He lighted the lantern, and Hal Dozier went down the steep steps, humming.

  • The telegram was found, and the captain read it, while Tim held the lantern.

  • Imagine scouts scouring the woods with a lantern—with a lantern, Renny!

British Dictionary definitions for lantern

lantern

noun
  1. a light with a transparent or translucent protective case
  2. a structure on top of a dome or roof having openings or windows to admit light or air
  3. the upper part of a lighthouse that houses the light
  4. photog short for magic lantern
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Word Origin

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

n.

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.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper