Definitions
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground
Etymologies
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Examples
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ceria commented on the word friar's lantern
From wordsmith:
A phosphorescent light seen over marshy ground at night, caused by
spontaneous combustion of gases emitted by decomposing organic matter.
A synonym is foxfire (not Firefox), especially for luminescence produced by fungi.
"She was pinched and pulled, she said; / And he, by Friar's lantern led."'>The first use of the term is in John Milton's 1632 poem L'Allegro:
"She was pinched and pulled, she said; / And he, by Friar's lantern led."
December 20, 2007