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

: ignis fatuus

Examples of jack-o'-lantern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This year's maze at Davis is Halloween-themed, with a giant jack-o'-lantern in the middle. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

And apples aren't the only fruit on offer—prepare to pick out pears for your next holiday dinner, or a pumpkin brimming with the potential to become a fearsome jack-o'-lantern. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026

When most of us think about edible seeds, our minds usually jump to chia seeds stirred into smoothies or overnight oats, pumpkin seeds roasted after carving jack-o'-lanterns each fall, or sunflower seeds chewed and spit out at a baseball game. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

Another sweet scene captured on camera showed the two pointing out a shop window decorated with various Halloween items, including a skull and jack-o'-lantern. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for jack-o'-lantern

• lantern

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