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mirage

 - 4 dictionary results

mi⋅rage

[mi-rahzh]
–noun
1. an optical phenomenon, esp. in the desert or at sea, by which the image of some object appears displaced above, below, or to one side of its true position as a result of spatial variations of the index of refraction of air.
2. something illusory, without substance or reality.
3. (initial capital letter) Military. any of a series of supersonic, delta-wing, multirole French fighter-bombers.

Origin:
1795–1805; < F, equiv. to (se) mir(er) to look at (oneself), be reflected (< L mīrārī to wonder at) + -age -age


2. illusion, phantom, fancy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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mi·rage   (mĭ-räzh')   
n.  
  1. An optical phenomenon that creates the illusion of water, often with inverted reflections of distant objects, and results from distortion of light by alternate layers of hot and cool air. Also called fata morgana.

  2. Something illusory or insubstantial.


[French, from mirer, to look at, from Latin mīrārī, to wonder at, from mīrus, wonderful; see smei- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

mirage 
"optical illusion of water in sandy deserts," 1812, from Fr. mirage, from se mirer "to be reflected," from L. mirare (see mirror).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: mi·rage
Pronunciation: m&-'räzh
Function: noun
: an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hotpavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heatedair of varying density
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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