Adjacent Words

magic lantern definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an early form of slide projector

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1696 an early form of optical projector of still pictures using a transparent slide

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lantern Lan"tern, n. [F. lanterne, L. lanterna, laterna, from Gr. ? 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. 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. 3. (Mach.) A lantern pinion or trundle wheel. See Lantern pinion (below). 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. 5. (Founding) A perforated barrel to form a core upon. 6. (Zo["o]l.) See Aristotle's lantern. 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. Dark lantern, a lantern with a single opening, which may be closed so as to conceal the light; -- called also bull's-eye. Lantern fly, Lantern carrier (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of large, handsome, hemipterous insects of the genera Laternaria, Fulgora, and allies, of the family Fulgorid[ae]. The largest species is Laternaria phosphorea of Brazil. The head of some species has been supposed to be phosphorescent. 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 (Zo["o]l.), 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Magic Mag"ic, Magical Mag"ic*al, a. [L. magicus, Gr. ?, fr. ?: cf. F. magique. See Magi.] 1. Pertaining to the hidden wisdom supposed to be possessed by the Magi; relating to the occult powers of nature, and the producing of effects by their agency. 2. Performed by, or proceeding from, occult and superhuman agencies; done by, or seemingly done by, enchantment or sorcery. Hence: Seemingly requiring more than human power; imposing or startling in performance; producing effects which seem supernatural or very extraordinary; having extraordinary properties; as, a magic lantern; a magic square or circle. The painter's magic skill. --Cowper. Note: Although with certain words magic is used more than magical, -- as, magic circle, magic square, magic wand, -- we may in general say magic or magical; as, a magic or magical effect; a magic or magical influence, etc. But when the adjective is predicative, magical, and not magic, is used; as, the effect was magical. Magic circle, a series of concentric circles containing the numbers 12 to 75 in eight radii, and having somewhat similar properties to the magic square. Magic humming bird (Zo["o]l.), a Mexican humming bird (Iache magica), having white downy thing tufts. Magic lantern. See Lantern. Magic square, numbers so disposed in parallel and equal rows in the form of a square, that each row, taken vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, shall give the same sum, the same product, or an harmonical series, according as the numbers taken are in arithmetical, geometrical, or harmonical progression. Magic wand, a wand used by a magician in performing feats of magic.