The term "lantern" is also used more generically to mean a 'light source' or the enclosure for a light source, i.e., the housing for the lamp and lens -- that is the top section -- of a lighthouse.

Traditional and decorative lanterns

Decorative lanterns exist in a wide range of designs. Some hang from buildings, while others are placed on or just above the ground. Paper lanterns occur in societies around the world. Modern varieties often place an electric light in a decorative glass case.

The ancient Chinese sometimes captured fireflies in transparent or semi-transparent containers and used them as (short-term) lanterns. Raise the Red Lantern, a Chinese film, prominently features lanterns as a motif.

Use of fireflies in transparent containers was also a widespread practice in ancient India. But since these were short term solutions, the use of fire torches was more prevalent.Fact: date=May 2008

Kerosene lantern

Common residential/agricultural applications for kerosene lamps were lighting unelectrified rural homes, barns and the path for nighttime visits to outhouse. Horse drawn carriages, railroad cars, ships, and early automobiles used kerosene lanterns for nighttime illumination, but the brighter carbide lamp was preferred for this use. The kerosene lantern was also heavily used as a method of signaling and navigational marking in railroad, nautical, firefighting, and public works applications. Lanterns used for signaling often had interchangeable globes of different colours. For example, lanterns with red and green globes were placed on the sides of ships to mark port and starboard, while lanterns with clear globes were used to indicate the ship was at anchor. Lanterns designed for marking purposes sometimes had extra large fuel tanks to permit 48 hours of continuous burning to permit workers to leave it unattended over the weekend.

Widespread rural electrification, improvements in battery operated lamps such as flashlights, and the affordability of portable gas-powered mantle lamps, spelled the decline of the kerosene lantern. Today, kerosene lanterns are still manufactured in China, some using the original tooling from the early 1900s. In the United States, antique lanterns are a collector's item, especially lanterns manufactured for carriages, fire trucks and railroads. Most often they are used for decoration and are never lit. The few remaining lanterns actually lit are used as source of emergency light during power outages, or as mood lighting. The Amish, some campers, and some individuals living "off-the-grid" still use kerosene lanterns on a regular basis.