from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Lantern \Lan"tern\ (l[a^]n"t[~e]rn), n. [F. lanterne, L.
lanterna, laterna, from Gr. lampth`r light, torch. See
{Lamp}.]
1. Something inclosing a light, and protecting it from wind,
rain, etc.; -- sometimes portable, as a closed vessel or
case of horn, perforated tin, glass, oiled paper, or other
material, having a lamp or candle within; sometimes fixed,
as the glazed inclosure of a street light, or of a
lighthouse light.
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2. (Arch.)
(a) An open structure of light material set upon a roof,
to give light and air to the interior.
(b) A cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open
below into the building or tower which it crowns.
(c) A smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one,
for ornament, or to admit light; such as the lantern
of the cupola of the Capitol at Washington, or that of
the Florence cathedral.
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3. (Mach.) A lantern pinion or trundle wheel. See {Lantern
pinion} (below).
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4. (Steam Engine) A kind of cage inserted in a stuffing box
and surrounding a piston rod, to separate the packing into
two parts and form a chamber between for the reception of
steam, etc.; -- called also {lantern brass}.
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5. (Founding) A perforated barrel to form a core upon.
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6. (Zool.) See {Aristotle's lantern}.
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Note: Fig. 1 represents a hand lantern; fig. 2, an arm
lantern; fig. 3, a breast lantern; -- so named from the
positions in which they are carried.
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{Dark lantern}, a lantern with a single opening, which may be
closed so as to conceal the light; -- called also
{bull's-eye}.
{Lantern jaws}, long, thin jaws; hence, a thin visage.
{Lantern pinion}, {Lantern wheel} (Mach.), a kind of pinion
or wheel having cylindrical bars or trundles, instead of
teeth, inserted at their ends in two parallel disks or
plates; -- so called as resembling a lantern in shape; --
called also {wallower}, or {trundle}.
{Lantern shell} (Zool.), any translucent, marine, bivalve
shell of the genus {Anatina}, and allied genera.
{Magic lantern}, an optical instrument consisting of a case
inclosing a light, and having suitable lenses in a lateral
tube, for throwing upon a screen, in a darkened room or
the like, greatly magnified pictures from slides placed in
the focus of the outer lens.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Dark \Dark\ (d[aum]rk), a. [OE. dark, derk, deork, AS. dearc,
deorc; cf. Gael. & Ir. dorch, dorcha, dark, black, dusky.]
1. Destitute, or partially destitute, of light; not
receiving, reflecting, or radiating light; wholly or
partially black, or of some deep shade of color; not
light-colored; as, a dark room; a dark day; dark cloth;
dark paint; a dark complexion.
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O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon,
Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse
Without all hope of day! --Milton.
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In the dark and silent grave. --Sir W.
Raleigh.
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2. Not clear to the understanding; not easily seen through;
obscure; mysterious; hidden.
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The dark problems of existence. --Shairp.
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What may seem dark at the first, will afterward be
found more plain. --Hooker.
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What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?
--Shak.
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3. Destitute of knowledge and culture; in moral or
intellectual darkness; unrefined; ignorant.
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The age wherein he lived was dark, but he
Could not want light who taught the world to see.
--Denhan.
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The tenth century used to be reckoned by medi[ae]val
historians as the darkest part of this intellectual
night. --Hallam.
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4. Evincing black or foul traits of character; vile; wicked;
atrocious; as, a dark villain; a dark deed.
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Left him at large to his own dark designs. --Milton.
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5. Foreboding evil; gloomy; jealous; suspicious.
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More dark and dark our woes. --Shak.
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A deep melancholy took possesion of him, and gave a
dark tinge to all his views of human nature.
--Macaulay.
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There is, in every true woman-s heart, a spark of
heavenly fire, which beams and blazes in the dark
hour of adversity. --W. Irving.
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6. Deprived of sight; blind. [Obs.]
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He was, I think, at this time quite dark, and so had
been for some years. --Evelyn.
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Note: Dark is sometimes used to qualify another adjective;
as, dark blue, dark green, and sometimes it forms the
first part of a compound; as, dark-haired, dark-eyed,
dark-colored, dark-seated, dark-working.
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{A dark horse}, in racing or politics, a horse or a candidate
whose chances of success are not known, and whose
capabilities have not been made the subject of general
comment or of wagers. [Colloq.]
{Dark house}, {Dark room}, a house or room in which madmen
were confined. [Obs.] --Shak.
{Dark lantern}. See {Lantern}. -- The
{Dark Ages}, a period of stagnation and obscurity in
literature and art, lasting, according to Hallam, nearly
1000 years, from about 500 to about 1500 A. D.. See
{Middle Ages}, under {Middle}.
{The Dark and Bloody Ground}, a phrase applied to the State
of Kentucky, and said to be the significance of its name,
in allusion to the frequent wars that were waged there
between Indians.
{The dark day}, a day (May 19, 1780) when a remarkable and
unexplained darkness extended over all New England.
{To keep dark}, to reveal nothing. [Low]
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