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jack-o'-lantern

 - 3 dictionary results

jack-o'-lan⋅tern

  [jak-uh-lan-tern]
Use jack-o'-lantern in a Sentence
–noun
1. a hollowed pumpkin with openings cut to represent human eyes, nose, and mouth and in which a candle or other light may be placed, traditionally made for display at Halloween.
2. a commercially made lantern resembling this.
3. any phenomenon of light, as a corona discharge or an ignis fatuus.
4. a poisonous luminescent orange fungus, Omphalotus olearius, often found in clusters at the base of hardwood tree stumps.
Origin:
1655–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To jack-o'-lantern
ig·nis fat·u·us   (ĭg'nĭs fāch'ōō-əs)   
n.   pl. ig·nes fat·u·i (ĭg'nēz fāch'ōō-ī')

  1. A phosphorescent light that hovers or flits over swampy ground at night, possibly caused by spontaneous combustion of gases emitted by rotting organic matter. Also called friar's lantern, jack-o'-lantern, will-o'-the-wisp, wisp.

  2. Something that misleads or deludes; an illusion.


[Medieval Latin : Latin ignis, fire + Latin fatuus, foolish.]
jack-o'-lan·tern   (jāk'ə-lān'tərn)   
n.   pl. jack-o'-lanterns

  1. A lantern made from a hollowed pumpkin with a carved face, usually displayed on Halloween.

  2. See ignis fatuus.


[From earlier Jack-with-a-lantern, man with a lantern, will-o'-the-wisp.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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