magic lantern

noun

An early light projector and precursor to the slide projector that could achieve simple animation by moving and merging images.

OriginLatin lanterna magica →
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Meanings

nounmagic lantern (plural magic lanterns)

plural magic lanterns

  1. historicalAn early light projector and precursor to the slide projector that could achieve simple animation by moving and merging images.

    "You know how that trick was, don't you Dan?" said Bob, "it was a magic lantern."

    1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 23, column 1
  2. datedA slide projector.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
phantasmagoria

Origin

  1. Latinlanterna magica
  2. Englishmagic lantern

Calque of Latin lanterna magica.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch toverlantaarn
  • toverlantaarnearly light projector
Finnish taikalyhty
  • taikalyhtyearly light projector
French lanterne magique
  • lanterne magiqueearly light projector
German Laterna magica, Skioptikon
  • Laterna magicaearly light projector
  • Skioptikonearly light projector
Hungarian laterna magica, bűvös lámpás
  • laterna magicaearly light projector
  • bűvös lámpásearly light projector
Irish laindéar draíochta
  • laindéar draíochtaearly light projector
Italian lanterna magica
  • lanterna magicaearly light projector
Japanese 幻灯
  • 幻灯 (gentō)early light projector
Latin lanterna magica
  • lanterna magicaearly light projector
Persian لنتر ماژیک
  • لنتر ماژیک (lanter-mâžik)early light projector
Polish latarnia projekcyjna
  • latarnia projekcyjnaearly light projector
Portuguese lanterna mágica
  • lanterna mágicaearly light projector
Romanian lanternă magică
  • lanternă magicăearly light projector
Russian волше́бный фона́рь
  • волше́бный фона́рь (volšébnyj fonárʹ)early light projector
Spanish linterna mágica
  • linterna mágicaearly light projector
Cite this entry
APA

magic lantern. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20lantern

MLA

“magic lantern.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20lantern. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “magic lantern,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20lantern.

Source: magic lantern on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.