Jack-o-lantern definition

jăkə-lăntərn
jack-o-lanterns
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Frequency:
A lantern made from a hollowed pumpkin with a carved face, usually displayed on Halloween.
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A hollow pumpkin cut to look like a face and usually illuminated inside as by a candle, used as a decoration at Halloween.
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A carved pumpkin whose top and stem have been cut out and interior removed, leaving a hollow shell that is then decorated to represent a face, illuminated from within by a candle.
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(archaic) A will o' the wisp.
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(idiomatic, English folklore) Will o' the wisp, a strange light that attracts travellers.
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(US, tradition) A vegetable, usually a pumpkin, but alternatively a turnip, carved into the form of a face and lighted within by a candle. Associated chiefly with the holiday Halloween.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
jack-o-lantern
Plural:
jack-o-lanterns

Origin of jack-o-lantern

  • From earlier Jack-with-a-lantern man with a lantern, will-o'-the-wisp

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Jack (“male given name”) + o' + lantern. Attested as a term for ignis fatuus in English folklore in the 1660s, mostly in East Anglia but also in southwestern England. The sense of carved pumpkin in American English is attested in 1834.

    From Wiktionary

  • Originally, a night watchman who carried a lantern. (See Jack)

    From Wiktionary

Jack-o-lantern Sentence Examples

  • Frau Holda; others, like the Welsh Pwck, the Lancashire boggarts or the more widely found Jack-o'-Lantern (Will o' the Wisp), are sprites who do no jmore harm than leading the wanderer astray.

  • Some have smiling faces on them, and some are created with spooky Jack-O-Lantern faces, to better fit the holiday.

  • A jack-o-lantern lit from within using real or LED votives makes a great starting point, and can be combined with other elements such as small candles or miniature pumpkins.

  • Consider hollowing out a pumpkin, much like you would do for a jack-o-lantern, but carve hearts instead of a face.

  • Choose a long-sleeved black T-shirt with a bright orange jack-o'-lantern on the front and pair it with a pair of jeans for a little boy.

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Words near jack-o-lantern in the Dictionary