jack-o'-lantern
A carved pumpkin whose top and stem have been cut out and interior removed, leaving a…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. It is a symbol of Halloween.
Meaning
3 sensesA 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. It is a symbol of Halloween.
Halloween-Kürbis, Jack mit der Laterne, Jack O’Lantern
Светильник ДжекSvetilʹnik Džek, фонарь из тыквыfonarʹ iz tykvy
Ліхтар ДжекаLixtar Džeka, світи́льник Дже́каsvitýlʹnyk Džéka
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. It is a symbol of Halloween.
A similar item made from a turnip.
(archaic)A will o' the wisp.
- lantern carved from a pumpkin
- a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground
Translations
8 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Originally, a night watchman who carried a lantern (originally made from a turnip; see neeOriginally, a night watchman who carried a lantern (originally made from a turnip; see neep lantern). See Jack. First 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 a carved pumpkin (sense 1) is first attested in 1834.
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Forms
plural: jack-o'-lanternsSynonyms
11 synonyms- a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground:friar's lanternignis fatuuswill-o'-the-wisp