friar's lantern

2 definitions found

friar's lantern - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Friar \Fri"ar\, n. [OR. frere, F. fr[`e]re brother, friar, fr.
     L. frater brother. See Brother.]
     1. (R. C. Ch.) A brother or member of any religious order,
        but especially of one of the four mendicant orders, viz:
        (a) Minors, Gray Friars, or Franciscans. (b)  Augustines
        . (c) Dominicans or Black Friars. (d) White  Friars or Carmelites.
         See these names in the Vocabulary.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Print.) A white or pale patch on a printed page.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.) An American fish; the silversides.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Friar bird (Zool.), an Australian bird (Tropidorhynchus  corniculatus
        ), having the head destitute of feathers; --
        called also coldong, leatherhead, pimlico; poor  soldier
        , and four-o'clock. The name is also applied to
        several other species of the same genus.
  
     Friar's balsam (Med.), a stimulating application for wounds
        and ulcers, being an alcoholic solution of benzoin,
        styrax, tolu balsam, and aloes; compound tincture of
        benzoin. --Brande & C.
  
     Friar's cap (Bot.), the monkshood.
  
     Friar's cowl (Bot.), an arumlike plant (Arisarum vulgare)
        with a spathe or involucral leaf resembling a cowl.
  
     Friar's lantern, the ignis fatuus or Will-o'-the-wisp.
        --Milton.
  
     Friar skate (Zool.), the European white or sharpnosed skate
        (Raia alba); -- called also Burton skate, border  ray
        , scad, and doctor.
        [1913 Webster]

friar's lantern - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  friar's lantern
      n 1: a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground
           [syn: friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern,
           will-o'-the-wisp]