jack-o'-lantern

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jack-o'-lantern

/ˈdʒæk.əʊˌlæn.tən/ UK
/ˈdʒæk.oʊˌlæn.təɹn/ US
/ˈdʒæk.əˌlæn.təɹn/ US

Where it comes from

Originally, a night watchman who carried a lantern (originally made from a turnip; see neep lantern).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.

noun jack-o'-lanterns · jack-o-lantern · jack o'lantern · Jack O'Lantern

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. He had a jocose jack-o'-lantern grin, big crooked nicotine-stained teeth, and a full droopy dark moustache and wiry whiskers hiding a weak chin. (attributive use)
A similar item made from a turnip.
archaic A will o' the wisp. [Newspaper speculations] supplying so many more jack-o'-lanterns to the future historian
Similar: ignis fatuus, hinkypunk, Joan the wad, hobby lantern, peg-a-lantern, Will the Smith, Pinket, Will o' the Wikes, Jack-with-a-lantern

Translations

Every language

noun carved pumpkin

Español	calabaza de Halloween, calabaza
한국어	잭오랜턴 jaeg-o-raenteon, 호박등 hobakdeung
日本語	ジャックオランタン jakku-o-rantan
中文	南瓜燈 /南瓜灯 nánguādēng, 傑克南瓜燈 /杰克南瓜灯 jiékè-nánguādēng
Português	coca
Français	citrouille d'Halloween, citrouille-lanterne, Jack-o’-lantern, lanterne-citrouille
Deutsch	Halloween-Kürbis, Jack mit der Laterne, Jack O’Lantern
Italiano	zucca di Halloween, Jack-o'-lantern, Jack della lanterna, lanterna di zucca
Ελληνικά	τζακ ο’ λάντερν tzak o’ lántern
Русский	Светильник Джек Svetilʹnik Džek, фонарь из тыквы fonarʹ iz tykvy
العربية	قرعة مضيئة
עברית	ג׳ק־או־לנטרן

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MLA

"jack-o'-lantern." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/jack-o'-lantern. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

jack-o'-lantern. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/jack-o'-lantern

Chicago

"jack-o'-lantern." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/jack-o'-lantern.

BibTeX

@misc{jack_o_lantern_2026,
  title = {jack-o'-lantern},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/jack-o'-lantern},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}