lantern

American  

[lan-tern] / ˈlæn tərn /

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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lantern British  

/ ˈlæntən /

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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Etymology

Origin of lantern

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

Example Sentences

In China, red lanterns could guide a traveller to safety in cold winter alleyways, be symbols of power outside an imperial hall, or act as a call to religious devotion when hung in a temple.

From BBC

Grandma returned to my room holding an electric lantern in one hand and a lighter in the other.

From Literature

Diogenes the Cynic famously carried a lantern searching for an honest man.

From The Wall Street Journal

A giant Japanese lantern floats above them like an orb.

From Los Angeles Times

Citrus lingers — oranges, grapefruit, tangerines — holding onto the last of their brightness like a lantern carried through fog.

From Salon

Related Words

• beacon
• flashlight
• kerosene lamp
• torch