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mi·rage 
Audio Help [mi-rahzh] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [mi-rahzh] Pronunciation Key –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]
] —Synonyms 2. illusion, phantom, fancy.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
mirage
To learn more about mirage visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| mi·rage
Audio Help (mĭ-räzh') Pronunciation Key
n.
[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 © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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 |
| mirage | |
noun | |
| 1. | an optical illusion in which atmospheric refraction by a layer of hot air distorts or inverts reflections of distant objects |
| 2. | something illusory and unattainable |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
mirage [ˈmiraːʒ, (especially American) miˈra:ʒ] noun
an illusion of an area of water in the desert or on a road etc
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
mirage
Audio Help (mĭ-räzh') Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) An image formed under certain atmospheric conditions, in which objects appear to be reflected or displaced or in which nonexistent objects seem to appear. For example, the difference in the index of refraction between a low layer of very hot air and a higher level of cold air can cause light rays, travelling down from an object (such as the sky or a cloud) and passing through ever warmer air, to be refracted back up again. An observer viewing these light rays perceives them coming up off the ground, and thus sees the inverted image of the object, which appears lower than the object really is. In this way the sky itself can be reflected, resulting in the mirage of a distant lake. |
| The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
El Mirage, AZ (town, FIPS 22220) Location: 33.59121 N, 112.32402 W
Population (1990): 5001 (2117 housing units)
Area: 25.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 85335
Rancho Mirage, CA (city, FIPS 59500) Location: 33.75798 N, 116.42556 W
Population (1990): 9778 (9360 housing units)
Area: 60.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 92270
| U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau |
Mirage
Loom"ing\, n. The indistinct and magnified appearance of objects seen in particular states of the atmosphere. See Mirage.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
MIRAGE
MIRAGE: in Acronym Finder
| Acronym Finder, © 1988-2007 Mountain Data Systems |
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