adj · noun · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈlæntən/
General-American:/ˈlæ̝ntɚn/without æ-raising
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ˈleə̯ntɚn/æ-raising
/ˈlɛə̯ntɚn/æ-raising
CMU ARPABET:L AE1 N T ER0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a facial feature, large and squarish in shape as an old-fashioned lantern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A case of translucent or transparent material made to protect a flame, or light, used to illuminate its surroundings.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Especially, a metal casing with lens used to illuminate a stage (e.g. spotlight, floodlight).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, theater
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light and air to the interior.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open below into the building or tower which it crowns.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one, for ornament, or to admit light.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
Examples
the lantern of the cupola of the Capitol at Washington, or that of the Florence cathedral
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A lantern pinion or trundle wheel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: steam engines
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
A light formerly used as a signal by a railway guard or conductor at night.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
A perforated barrel to form a core upon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
Aristotle's lantern
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
verb
Meaning 12
To furnish with a lantern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to lantern a lighthouse
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
light in a transparent protective case
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: lamp
Narrower terms: Chinese lantern, dark lantern, bull's-eye, jack-o'-lantern
History
Etymology
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”).
Across languages
Translations
157 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
fener
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Albanian:
luqerë
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Aleut:
funaarix̂
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Alutiiq:
fanaʀuq
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Amharic:
ፋኑስ
(fanus)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Arabic:
فَانُوس
(fānūs)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Arabic:
فانوس
(fānūs)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Armenian:
լապտեր
(lapter)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Azerbaijani:
fənər
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Belarusian:
ліхта́р
(lixtár)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Bengali:
লন্ঠন
(lonṭhon)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Bengali:
সিরাজ
(śiraj)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Bulgarian:
фене́р
(fenér)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Burmese:
မီးအိမ်
(mi:im)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Buryat:
дэнлүү
(denlüü)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Catalan:
fanal
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Catalan:
faró
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Chinese Cantonese:
燈籠 /灯笼
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Chinese Cantonese:
燈 /灯
(dang1)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Chinese:
дынлу
(dɨnlu)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Chinese:
燈籠 /灯笼
(teng-lóng)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Chinese Mandarin:
燈籠 /灯笼
(dēnglóng)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Chinese Mandarin:
燈 /灯
(dēng)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Wu Chinese:
燈籠 /灯笼
(1ten-lon)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Czech:
lucerna
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Danish:
lanterne
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Dutch:
lantaarn
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Dutch:
lantaren
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Esperanto:
lanterno
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Estonian:
latern
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Finnish:
lyhty
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
French:
lanterne
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Gagauz:
fener
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Galician:
farol
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Galician:
foco
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Georgian:
ფარანი
(parani)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
German:
Laterne
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Gothic:
𐍃𐌺𐌴𐌹𐌼𐌰
(skeima)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Greek:
φανάρι
(fanári)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Hebrew:
פָּנָס
(panás)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Hebrew:
עֲשָׁשִׁית
(ashashít)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Hindi:
लालटेन
(lālṭen)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Hindi:
फ़ानूस
(fānūs)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Hindi:
फानूस
(phānūs)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Hungarian:
lámpás
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Icelandic:
lampi
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Icelandic:
ljósker
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Indonesian:
lentera
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Indonesian:
tanglung
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Ingrian:
fonari
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Irish:
laindéar
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Italian:
lanterna
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Japanese:
灯篭
(tōrō)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Japanese:
ランタン
(rantan)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Japanese:
提灯
(chōchin)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Kannada:
ಲಾಂದ್ರ
(lāndra)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Kazakh:
шам
(şam)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Kazakh:
фонарь
(fonar)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Khmer:
គោម
(koom)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Korean:
랜턴
(raenteon)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Korean:
등롱
(deungnong)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Korean:
손전등
(sonjeondeung)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Northern Kurdish:
fener
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Northern Kurdish:
fanos
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Northern Kurdish:
fanûs
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Kyrgyz:
фонарь
(fonar)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Kyrgyz:
панар
(panar)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Lao:
ຕະກຽງ
(ta kīang)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Latin:
lanterna
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Latin:
lampas
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Latvian:
laterna
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Lithuanian:
žibiñtas
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Macedonian:
фенер
(fener)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Malay:
tanglung
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Malay:
lentera
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Manchu:
ᡩᡝᠩᠯᡠ
(denglu)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Mongolian:
дэнлүү
(denlüü)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Mongolian:
ᠳ᠋ᠧᠩᠯᠦ
(dēnglü)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Classical Nahuatl:
ocōcallōtl
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Classical Nahuatl:
tlāhuīlcalli
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Norwegian Bokmål:
lanterne
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Norwegian Bokmål:
lykt
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Norwegian Nynorsk:
lanterne
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Old East Slavic:
фонарь
(fonarĭ)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Pannonian Rusyn:
лампаш
(lampaš)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Pannonian Rusyn:
латерна
(laterna)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Pashto:
پانوس
(pānús)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Pashto:
لاټين
(lãṭayn)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Pennsylvania German:
Lutzer
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Pennsylvania German:
Ladann
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Dari:
فَانُوس
(fānūs)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Iranian Persian:
فانوس
(fânus)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Iranian Persian:
لَنْتَر
(lantar)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Plautdietsch:
Latoarn
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Polish:
latarnia
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Portuguese:
lanterna
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Romanian:
lanternă
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Romanian:
felinar
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Russian:
фона́рь
(fonárʹ)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Sanskrit:
दीपिका
(dīpikā)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Scottish Gaelic:
lòchran
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Scottish Gaelic:
lanntair
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Serbo-Croatian:
фѐњер
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Serbo-Croatian:
fènjer
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Slovak:
lucerna
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Slovak:
lampáš
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Slovene:
laterna
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Slovene:
svetilka
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Somali:
faynuus
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
farol
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
fogaril
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
candil
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
capuchina
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
quinqué
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
candileja
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
velón
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
candelero
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
candilón
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
pendil
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Spanish:
farolillo (consumable)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Swahili:
koroboi
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Swahili:
fanusi
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Swedish:
lykta
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Tajik:
фонус
(fonus)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Telugu:
లాంతరు
(lāntaru)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Thai:
โคม
(koom)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Thai:
โคมไฟ
(koom-fai)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Thai:
ประทีป
(bprà-tîip)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Tibetan:
སྒྲོན་མེ
(sgron me)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Turkish:
fener
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Turkish:
fanus
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Old Anatolian Turkish:
فنار
(fänār)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Ottoman Turkish:
فنار
(fenar, fener)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Ottoman Turkish:
فانوس
(fanus)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Turkmen:
fener
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Ukrainian:
ліхта́р
(lixtár)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Urdu:
لالْٹین
(lālṭen)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Urdu:
فانُوس
(fānūs)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Uyghur:
پانار
(panar)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Uyghur:
پانۇس
(panus)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Uzbek:
fonar
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Uzbek:
fonus
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Vietnamese:
đèn lồng
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Vietnamese:
lồng đèn
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Walloon:
lantiene
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Welsh:
llusern
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Yiddish:
לאַנטערן
(lantern)
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
Zhuang:
daengloengz
— case of transparent material made to protect a flame, or light
German:
Dachfenster
— open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light
German:
Dachflächenfenster
— open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light
Polish:
latarnia
— open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light
French:
lanterne
— a smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one
German:
Laterne
— a smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one
Italian:
lanterna
— a smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one
Polish:
latarnia
— a smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one
Portuguese:
lanterna
— a smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one
Spanish:
linterna
— a smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one
