an appearance or illusion without material substance, as a dream image, mirage, or optical illusion.
3.
a person or thing of merely illusory power, status, efficacy, etc.: the phantom of fear.
4.
an illustration, part of which is given a transparent effect so as to permit representation of details otherwise hidden from view, as the inner workings of a mechanical device.
–adjective
5.
of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a phantom; illusory: a phantom sea serpent.
6.
Electricity. noting or pertaining to a phantom circuit.
7.
named, included, or recorded but nonexistent; fictitious: Payroll checks were made out and cashed for phantom employees.
Something apparently seen, heard, or sensed, but having no physical reality; a ghost or an apparition.
Something elusive or delusive.
An image that appears only in the mind; an illusion.
Something dreaded or despised.
adj.
Resembling, characteristic of, or being a phantom; illusive.
Fictitious; nonexistent: phantom employees on the payroll.
[Middle English fantom, from Old French fantosme, probably from Vulgar Latin *phantauma, from Greek dialectal *phantagma, from Greek phantasma; see phantasm.]
c.1300, fantum "illusion, unreality," from O.Fr. fantesme (12c.), from V.L. *fantauma, from L. phantasma (see phantasm). The ph- restored in Eng. c.1590. Meaning "specter, spirit, ghost" is attested from 1382; that of "something having the form, but not the substance, of a real thing" is from 1707.
Di*aph"a*nous\, a. [Gr. ?, fr. ? to show or shine through; dia` through + ? to show, and in the passive, to shine: cf. F. diaphane. See Phantom, and cf. Diaphane, Diaphanic.] Allowing light to pass through, as porcelain; translucent or transparent; pellucid; clear. Another cloud in the region of them, light enough to be fantastic and diaphanous. --Landor.
Fan"cy\, n.; pl. Fancies. [Contr. fr. fantasy, OF. fantasie, fantaisie, F. fantaisie, L. phantasia, fr. Gr. ???????? appearance, imagination, the power of perception and presentation in the mind, fr. ???????? to make visible, to place before one's mind, fr. ??????? to show; akin to ????, ???, light, Skr. bh[=a]to shine. Cf. Fantasy, Fantasia, Epiphany, Phantom.]1. The faculty by which the mind forms an image or a representation of anything perceived before; the power of combining and modifying such objects into new pictures or images; the power of readily and happily creating and recalling such objects for the purpose of amusement, wit, or embellishment; imagination. In the soul Are many lesser faculties, that serve Reason as chief. Among these fancy next Her office holds. --Milton. 2. An image or representation of anything formed in the mind; conception; thought; idea; conceit. How now, my lord ! why do you keep alone, Of sorriest fancies your companoins making ? --Shak. 3. An opinion or notion formed without much reflection; caprice; whim; impression. I have always had a fancy that learning might be made a play and recreation to children. --Locke. 4. Inclination; liking, formed by caprice rather than reason; as, to strike one's fancy; hence, the object of inclination or liking. To fit your fancies to your father's will. --Shak. 5. That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value. London pride is a pretty fancy for borders. --Mortimer. 6. A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad. [Obs.] --Shak. The fancy, all of a class who exhibit and cultivate any peculiar taste or fancy; hence, especially, sporting characters taken collectively, or any specific class of them, as jockeys, gamblers, prize fighters, etc. At a great book sale in London, which had congregated all the fancy. --De Quincey. Syn: Imagination; conceit; taste; humor; inclination; whim; liking. See Imagination.
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