lantern

[lan-tern]

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

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 for lantern

beacon, torch, flashlight, light, searchlight, gaslight

Examples from the Web for lantern

Contemporary Examples of 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

Historical Examples of lantern

There, by the light of a lantern, he and Jud made Andrew as comfortable as possible.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
He got up from his chair, lighted a lantern, and went outside.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
He lighted the lantern, and Hal Dozier went down the steep steps, humming.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
The telegram was found, and the captain read it, while Tim held the lantern.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
Imagine scouts scouring the woods with a lantern—with a lantern, Renny!
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr

British Dictionary definitions for lantern

lantern

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

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.