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
Grab your friends and make a day out of creating an entire pumpkin village, or add a little excitement to your porch display by hiding a couple of fairy cottages among the rest of your jack-o'-lanterns.
—
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 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
Everyone needs a classic jack-o'-lantern (or a few) to bring a warm, festive glow to their home.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2025
Black tables were decked out with confetti and goodie bags with jack-o'-lantern designs on them.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The big picture: The city's Solid Waste Management Department will accept rotten jack-o'-lantern carcasses and other pumpkin remnants today through Dec. 6 — a longer window than in past years.
—Shafaq Patel, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
The talking jack-o'-lanterns are great for younger kids and can even be projected onto real pumpkins.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024
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.
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Sep. 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
Everyone needs a classic jack-o'-lantern (or a few) to bring a warm, festive glow to their home.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2025
Black tables were decked out with confetti and goodie bags with jack-o'-lantern designs on them.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
The big picture: The city's Solid Waste Management Department will accept rotten jack-o'-lantern carcasses and other pumpkin remnants today through Dec. 6 — a longer window than in past years.
—Shafaq Patel, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
The talking jack-o'-lanterns are great for younger kids and can even be projected onto real pumpkins.
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Jack-o'-lantern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jack-o%27-lantern. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share