lantern

Meaning

Noun

1. A case of translucent or transparent material made to protect a flame, or light, used to illuminate its surroundings.
2. Especially, a metal casing with lens used to illuminate a stage (e.g. spotlight, floodlight).
3. An open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light and air to the interior.
4. A cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open below into the building or tower which it crowns.
5. A smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one, for ornament, or to admit light.
6. A lantern pinion or trundle wheel.
7. A kind of cage inserted in a stuffing box and surrounding a piston rod, to separate the packing into two parts and form a chamber between for the reception of steam, etc.; a lantern brass.
8. A light formerly used as a signal by a railway guard or conductor at night.
9. A perforated barrel to form a core upon.
10. Aristotle's lantern

Verb

To furnish with a lantern.

Adj

Of a facial feature, large and squarish in shape as an old-fashioned lantern.

Synonyms

lamp

light

torch

streetlight

cresset

flashlight

🔦

glim

hanging lamp

illumination

kitchen

lame

lamplight

light bulb

lights

oil lamp

projector

slide projector

streetlamp

street light

paper lantern

small lamp

night ornament

wick lamp

lantern light

monitor roof

signal bridge

optical lantern

hurricane-lantern

projecting lantern

La

monitor top

beacon

burner

candle

🕯️

Translations

Laterne

🏮

lanterna

🏮

lanterne

🏮

linterna

🏮

lantaarn

🏮

farol

🏮

φανάρι

lanterna

🔦

lanterna

🏮

llanterna

🔦

fener

🏮

lampione

Lampe

lampas

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlæntən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lanterne

Cognate with French: lanterner

In summary

From Middle English lanterne (13th century), via Old French lanterne from Latin lanterna (“lantern”), itself a corruption of Ancient Greek λαμπτήρ (lamptḗr, “torch”) (see lamp, λάμπω (lámpō)) by influence of Latin lucerna (“lamp”). The spelling lanthorn was current during the 16th to 19th centuries and originates with a folk etymology associating the word with the use of horn as translucent cover. For the verb, compare French lanterner to hang at the lamppost. Displaced native Old English lēohtfæt (literally “light-container”).

Sentences

Turn out the lantern which gives us light .