lantern

lantern — noun

1. a portable light source that is placed inside a transparent container, usually f

1.nounA2
Definition

a portable light source that is placed inside a transparent container, usually fitted with a handle for carrying by hand or hanging from a hook

Example

Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the children carry paper lanterns through the streets.

noun modifier: paper lanterns — common material collocation

The iron lantern on the porch cast a warm glow across the front step.

hanging + location phrase: hanging on the porch

Common collocations
  • carry a lantern
  • light a lantern
  • paper lantern
  • Chinese lantern
  • lantern light
  • lantern festival
  • hang a lantern
  • battery-powered lantern
Synonyms
  • lamp

    a broader term for any device that produces light; a lamp may be fixed or portable but lacks the protective covering typical of a lantern

  • torch

    in British English, a handheld battery-powered light (flashlight in American English); torches are not decorative and rarely have a hanging feature

Grammar Patterns

a/the + lantern

lantern + noun (as modifier)

Common Mistakes

She bought a lantern to read in the dark lamp.
She bought a lantern to read in the dark.
'lamp' and 'lantern' are not synonyms; a lantern is portable with a protective cover.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A lantern is a portable light source with a protective transparent cover and often a handle for carrying or hanging. A lamp is a more general term for any light-giving device — it can be a table lamp, a street lamp, or a bedside lamp — and usually lacks the portable, enclosed design of a lantern. Torch (British) and flashlight (American) both refer to a battery-powered handheld light, but they are typically cylindrical, made of metal or plastic, and aimed like a beam — unlike a lantern which casts light in all directions through its transparent sides. For example, you would hang a lantern on a hook to light a garden path at night, but you would point a torch at the ground to see where you are walking.

lamp ↗torch ↗flashlight ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • paper lantern
  • Chinese lantern
  • silk lantern
  • iron lantern
  • battery-powered lantern

Phrases

  • light a lantern
  • carry a lantern
  • hang a lantern
  • lantern light

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Lantern came into English from Old French 'lanterne', which itself came from Latin 'lanterna'. The Latin word was borrowed from Greek 'lamptēr' (meaning 'torch'), which is related to the Greek verb 'lampein' meaning 'to shine'. This same Greek root gives us the English word 'lamp'.