jack-o'-lantern

noun

jack-o'-lan·​tern ˈja-kə-ˌlan-tərn How to pronounce jack-o'-lantern (audio)
1
: a lantern made of a pumpkin usually cut to resemble a human face
2
: any of several large orangish gill fungi (genus Omphalotus) that are poisonous and luminescent
3
: ignis fatuus

Examples of jack-o'-lantern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Giant spiderwebs and lots of jack-o'-lanterns make this seasonal display bold and fun. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025 The pumpkins came from nearby farms where families picked their jack-o'-lanterns weeks earlier. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025 The bucket, which appears to be a plastic jack-o'-lantern, may seem like a laughing matter to some, but not Karen Bloch. — Ricky Sayer, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026 Patsy Weigel loves to decorate for the spooky season with skulls, skeletons, jack-o'-lanterns and other creepy figures. — Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jack-o'-lantern

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of jack-o'-lantern was in 1667

Rhymes for jack-o'-lantern

See All Rhymes for jack-o'-lantern

Browse Nearby Words

jacko
jack-o'-lantern
jack oak
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jack-o'-lantern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jack-o%27-lantern. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

jack-o'-lantern

noun
jack-o'-lan·​tern
ˈjak-ə-ˌlant-ərn
: a lantern made of a pumpkin usually cut to look like a face

More from Merriam-Webster on jack-o'-lantern

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jack-o'-lantern

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All