​LANTHORN, or Lantern, a well-known contrivance, which serves to carry a candle, without exposing it to the air, or otherwise incurring danger.

Lanthorns are usually made of glass, horn, or other transparent matter, for the transmission of light; but, if they were covered externally with thin wire-work, many accidents might be prevented in stables and barns, as the lanthorns might thus be rendered less liable to injury from external accidents, while the communication of light would not be materially impeded.