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lantern

[lan-tern] Origin

lan·tern

[lan-tern]
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.
4.
Architecture.
a.
a tall, more or less open construction admitting light to an enclosed area below.
b.
any light, decorative structure of relatively small size crowning a roof, dome, etc.
c.
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.

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English lanterne < Latin lanterna (< Etruscan ) < Greek lamptḗr lamp, light
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Lantern is always a great word to know.
So is balustrade. Does it mean:
a railing with supporting balusters or posts
describing an arch resting on imposts treated as downward continuations of the arch
Collins
World English Dictionary
lantern (ˈlæntən)
 
n
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
 
[C13: from Latin lanterna, from Greek lamptēr lamp, from lampein to shine]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

lantern
c.1300, from O.Fr. lanterne, from L. lanterna, altered (by influence of L. lucerna "lamp") from Gk. 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,
EXPAND
long cheeks" is from a resemblance noted since at least mid-14c.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

lantern

in architecture, originally an openwork timber construction placed on top of a building to admit light and allow smoke to escape. Something of this idea persists in medieval examples such as the lantern above the central octagon of Ely Cathedral (14th century). The term lantern soon came to refer to the open top story of a tower, because such a construction resembled a lamp container and because beacons were occasionally placed there.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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