- will-o'-the-wisp
- noun Etymology: Will (nickname for William) + of + the + wisp Date: circa 1661 1. ignis fatuus 1 2. a delusive or elusive goal • will-o'-the-wisp adjective
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
will-o'-the-wisp
Look at other dictionaries:
will-o'-the-wisp — [wil′ə thə wisp′] n. [earlier Will with the wisp < Will (nickname for WILLIAM1) + WISP] 1. JACK O LANTERN (sense 1) 2. any hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach … English World dictionary
will-o'-the-wisp — 1660s, earlier Will with the wisp (c.1600), from the masc. proper name Will + wisp bundle of hay or straw used as a torch … Etymology dictionary
will-o'-the-wisp — ► NOUN 1) a phosphorescent light seen hovering or floating at night on marshy ground, thought to result from the combustion of natural gases. 2) a person or thing that is difficult or impossible to reach or catch. ORIGIN originally as Will with… … English terms dictionary
Will-o'-the-wisp — n. See {Ignis fatuus}. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
will-o'-the-wisp — Something that deceives by its appearance is a will o’ the wisp; it looks good, but turns out to be a disappointment … The small dictionary of idiomes
will-o'-the-wisp — will o the wisp; will o the wisp·ish; … English syllables
will i the wisp — will i(n) the wisp see will o the wisp … Useful english dictionary
will in the wisp — will i(n) the wisp see will o the wisp … Useful english dictionary
will o' the wisp — [ ,wıl əðə wısp ] noun count 1. ) LITERARY something that is impossible to achieve 2. ) LITERARY someone you cannot depend on 3. ) a blue light caused by burning gases that you sometimes see at night over wet ground … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
will o' the wisp — n [C usually singular] 1.) someone that you can never completely depend on, or something that you can never achieve 2.) a blue moving light caused by natural gases, that can be seen over wet ground at night … Dictionary of contemporary English
Will-o'-the-wisp — For other uses, see Will o the wisp (disambiguation). Will o the wisp Phenomenon An 1882 oil painting of a will o the wisp by Arnold Böcklin See also … Wikipedia
