lantern

[ lan-tern ]
See synonyms for lantern on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. Architecture.

    • a tall, more or less open construction admitting light to an enclosed area below.

    • any light, decorative structure of relatively small size crowning a roof, dome, etc.

    • an open-sided structure on a roof to let out smoke or to assist ventilation.

  2. 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

1
1250–1300; Middle English lanterne<Latin lanterna (<Etruscan ) <Greek lamptḗr lamp, light

Words Nearby lantern

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lantern in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lantern

lantern

/ (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

  1. the upper part of a lighthouse that houses the light

  2. photog short for magic lantern

Origin of lantern

1
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