luminaria

[ loo-muh-nair-ee-uh; Spanish loo-mee-nah-ryah ]

noun,plural lu·mi·nar·i·as [loo-muh-nair-ee-uhz; Spanish loo-mee-nah-ryahs]. /ˌlu məˈnɛər i əz; Spanish ˌlu miˈnɑ ryɑs/.
  1. (especially in Mexico and the southwestern U.S.) a Christmas lantern consisting of a lighted candle set in sand inside a paper bag.

Origin of luminaria

1
1945–50; <Mexican Spanish, Spanish: any lamp or lantern displayed during a festival <Medieval Latin, Late Latin lūmināria, originally neuter plural of lūmināris lamp; see lumen, -ar1

Words Nearby luminaria

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

How to use luminaria in a sentence

  • Sometimes a weak moon-ray passing down the luminaria would strike at the bottom on a slab of marble covered with inscriptions.

    The Death of the Gods | Dmitri Mrejkowski