magic lantern

noun

1. a device having an enclosed lamp and a lenslike opening, formerly used for projecting and magnifying images mounted on slides or films.

magic lantern

noun

1. an early type of slide projector Sometimes shortened tolantern

Word History and Origins

Origin of magic lantern¹

First recorded in 1690–1700

Example Sentences

Old-fashioned projectors, known as magic lanterns, would be used to show pictures such as these in places like church halls across Great Britain.

From BBC

Hanks added that the whole museum is, to him, “the world’s largest magic lantern.”

From Washington Times

Projected scenes are a theme in all the museum’s galleries, with technology from 18th century “magic lanterns” through silent films to the 3-D digital tech of today.

From Seattle Times

But puppetry, magic lanterns, the painted scene unspooling slowly between two poles — a device called a crankie — all these would have been familiar to Shelley.

From New York Times

On Saturday and Sunday, they will also give magic lantern shows for young audiences, where they will offer noisemakers to create sound effects and 19th-century toy lanterns to explore.

From New York Times