noun
paper lantern; Chinese lantern; Japanese lantern
A collapsible lantern made of paper or silk on a bamboo frame, used in festivals, traditional settings, and as a portable light source.
祭りにはたくさんの提灯が飾られていた。
Many paper lanterns were displayed at the festival.
夜道を提灯で照らしながら歩いた。
I walked along the night path, lighting my way with a paper lantern.
noun
snot bubble
Only when written 提灯
Colloquial, usually written in kana. Refers to a bubble of mucus from the nose, often seen in sleeping children or comical situations. Often used in the phrase 鼻ちょうちん.
See also: 鼻ちょうちん
赤ちゃんが鼻ちょうちんを作って寝ている。
The baby is sleeping with a snot bubble.
漫画のキャラが鼻ちょうちんをふくらませて笑いをとる。
The manga character gets a laugh by blowing a snot bubble.
Out-dated kanji form using 燈; rarely encountered in modern text.
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.
From Chinese 提燈／提灯 (tídēng), literally 'carry lantern'. The colloquial sense 'snot bubble' is a metaphorical extension based on the shape.