What does jack-o'-lantern mean?

Definitions for jack-o'-lantern
ˈdʒæk əˌlæn tərnjack-o'-lantern

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word jack-o'-lantern.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern, will-o'-the-wispnoun

    a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground

  2. jack-o'-lanternnoun

    lantern carved from a pumpkin

Wikipedia

  1. Jack-o'-lantern

    A jack-o'-lantern (or jack o'lantern) is a carved lantern, most commonly made from a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a rutabaga or turnip. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the Halloween holiday. Its name comes from the reported phenomenon of strange lights flickering over peat bogs, called will-o'-the-wisps or jack-o'-lanterns. The name is also tied to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a drunkard who bargains with Satan and is doomed to roam the Earth with only a hollowed turnip to light his way. Jack-o'-lanterns carved from pumpkins are a yearly Halloween tradition that developed in the United States when Celtic Americans brought their root vegetable carving tradition with them. It is common to see jack-o'-lanterns used as external and internal decorations prior to and on Halloween. To make a jack-o'-lantern, the top of a pumpkin or turnip is cut off to form a lid, the inside flesh is scooped out, and an image—usually a "scary" or "funny" face—is carved out of the rind to expose the hollow interior. A light source, traditionally a flame from a candle or tealight, is placed within before the lid is closed. Artificial jack-o'-lanterns with electric lights are also marketed.

ChatGPT

  1. jack-o'-lantern

    A jack-o'-lantern is a hollowed-out pumpkin or other vegetable, such as a turnip, that has been carved to resemble a face and is typically lit from within by a candle or other light source. It is commonly used as a decoration during the Halloween holiday. The term "jack-o'-lantern" originates from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack."

Webster Dictionary

  1. Jack-o'-lanternnoun

    see Jack-with-a-lantern, under 2d Jack

Wikidata

  1. Jack-o'-lantern

    A jack-o'-lantern is a carved pumpkin, turnip or beet, associated chiefly with the holiday of Hallowe'en, and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called will-o'-the-wisp or jack-o'-lantern. In a jack-o'-lantern, the top is cut off to form a lid, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved out of the pumpkin's rind to expose the hollow interior. To create the lantern effect, a light source is placed within before the lid is closed. This is traditionally a flame or electric candle, though pumpkin lights featuring various colors and flickering effects are also marketed specifically for this purpose. It is common to see jack-o'-lanterns on doorsteps and otherwise used as decorations during Hallowe'en.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of jack-o'-lantern in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of jack-o'-lantern in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of jack-o'-lantern in a Sentence

  1. Marie-France Kern:

    For cooking always choose a “pie pumpkin” or “sugar pumpkin.” They have much better flavor than those giant pumpkins you turn into a jack-o-lantern.

  2. Michael Wong:

    It's kind of like a jack-o-lantern, you see bright infrared light coming from cloud-free areas, but where there are clouds, it's really dark in the infrared.


Translations for jack-o'-lantern

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"jack-o'-lantern." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/jack-o%27-lantern>.

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