jack-o'-lantern
noun
jack-o'-lan·tern
ˈja-kə-ˌlan-tərn 
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
Examples of jack-o'-lantern in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Giant spiderwebs and lots of jack-o'-lanterns make this seasonal display bold and fun.
—
Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
In between, jack-o'-lanterns are the stars of Halloween.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
This year's buckets are a cute (and definitely not spooky) array of Halloween friends, including a friendly ghost, a black cat, the iconic jack-o'-lantern, a not-too-scary red zombie, and a green monster that would make Frankenstein proud.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
Little ones can build a rickety fence with wooden craft sticks and set a quintet of jack-o'-lanterns on top, like in this project from Mrs. Goff's Pre-K Tales.
—Ellen Sturm Niz, Parents, 6 Oct. 2025
Stroll along a half-mile trail lined with thousands of jack-o'-lanterns and other seasonal decor.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2025
The Amber Alert described 1-year-old Fargis as being last seen wearing an orange Halloween shirt with a white ghost on the front and black tights featuring jack-o'-lanterns, lollipops, and worms.
—Jenna Sundel
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
The bright orange bucket, sporting Home Depot's logo, features jack-o'-lanterns, bats, ghosts, spiders and spiderwebs.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Think: table top ghosts, wall signs, and jack-o'-lanterns galore.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
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Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
In between, jack-o'-lanterns are the stars of Halloween.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
This year's buckets are a cute (and definitely not spooky) array of Halloween friends, including a friendly ghost, a black cat, the iconic jack-o'-lantern, a not-too-scary red zombie, and a green monster that would make Frankenstein proud.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
Little ones can build a rickety fence with wooden craft sticks and set a quintet of jack-o'-lanterns on top, like in this project from Mrs. Goff's Pre-K Tales.
—Ellen Sturm Niz, Parents, 6 Oct. 2025
Stroll along a half-mile trail lined with thousands of jack-o'-lanterns and other seasonal decor.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2025
The Amber Alert described 1-year-old Fargis as being last seen wearing an orange Halloween shirt with a white ghost on the front and black tights featuring jack-o'-lanterns, lollipops, and worms.
—Jenna Sundel
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
The bright orange bucket, sporting Home Depot's logo, features jack-o'-lanterns, bats, ghosts, spiders and spiderwebs.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Think: table top ghosts, wall signs, and jack-o'-lanterns galore.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jack-o'-lantern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jack-o%27-lantern. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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