Will-of-the-wisp

will-o'-the-wisp

[wil-uh-thuh-wisp]
noun
1.
ignis fatuus ( def 1 ).
2.
anything that deludes or misleads by luring on.
Origin:
1600–10; orig. Will (i.e., William) with the wisp; see wisp

Related forms
will·o'-the-wisp·ish; especially British, will·o'-the-wisp·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
will-o'-the-wisp (ˌwɪləðəˈwɪsp) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, Also called: 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]
 
will-o'-the-'wispish
 
—adj
 
will-o'-the-'wispy
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Will-of-the-wisp is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

will-o'-the-wisp
1661, earlier Will with the wisp (1608), from the masc. proper name Will + wisp "bundle of hay or straw used as a torch."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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