will-o'-the-wisp

will-o'-the-wisp

 (wĭl′ə-thə-wĭsp′)

n.

1. See ignis fatuus.

2. A delusive or misleading hope.

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[From Will, nickname for William.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

will-o'-the-wisp

(ˌwɪləðəˈwɪsp)

n

1. (Chemistry) Also called: friar's lantern, ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern a pale flame or phosphorescence sometimes seen over marshy ground at night. It is believed to be due to the spontaneous combustion of methane or other hydrocarbons originating from decomposing organic matter

2. a person or thing that is elusive or allures and misleads

[C17: originally Will with the wisp, from Will short for William and wisp in former sense of a twist of hay or straw burning as a torch]

ˌwill-o'-the-ˈwispish, ˌwill-o'-the-ˈwispy adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

will-o'-the-wisp

(ˈwɪl ə ðəˈwɪsp)

n.

1. ignis fatuus (def. 1).

2. anything that deludes or misleads by luring on; an elusive thing or person.

[1600–10; orig. Will (i.e., William) with the wisp]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	will-o'-the-wisp - a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern light, visible light, visible radiation - (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation; "the light was filtered through a soft glass window"
	2.	will-o'-the-wisp - an illusion that misleads ignis fatuus fancy, phantasy, illusion, fantasy - something many people believe that is false; "they have the illusion that I am very wealthy"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

will-o'-the-wisp

noun

An erroneous perception of reality:

delusion, hallucination, ignis fatuus, illusion, mirage, phantasm, phantasma.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

will-o'-the-wisp

[ˈwɪləðəˈwɪsp] N (lit) → fuego m fatuo (fig) → quimera f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

will-o'-the-wisp

[ˌwɪləðəˈwɪsp] n (= elusive person, thing) → feu follet m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

will-o’-the-wisp

n → Irrlicht nt; (fig) → Trugbild nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

will-o'-the-wisp

[ˌwɪləðəˈwɪsp] n (also) (fig) → fuoco fatuo

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995