Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

will-o'-the-wisp

 - 5 dictionary results
High Speed Internet
Find Top Local Internet Providers. Search In Your Local Area Now.
OneClickLocal.com
O Wills
Find O Wills near you Local Search on O Wills
www.HelloLocal.com
Will O' The Wisp
Low prices on new & used music. Qualified orders over $25 ship free
Amazon.com/music

will-o'-the-wisp

  [wil-uh-thuh-wisp]
Use will-o'-the-wisp in a Sentence
–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:
willo'-the-wispish; especially British, willo'-the-wispy, adjective
High Speed Internet
Find Top Local Internet Providers. Search In Your Local Area Now.
OneClickLocal.com
O Wills
Find O Wills near you Local Search on O Wills
www.HelloLocal.com

ig⋅nis fat⋅u⋅us

  [ig-nis fach-oo-uhs]
–noun, plural ig⋅nes fat⋅u⋅i  [ig-neez fach-oo-ahy] .
1. Also called friar's lantern, will-o'-the-wisp. a flitting phosphorescent light seen at night, chiefly over marshy ground, and believed to be due to spontaneous combustion of gas from decomposed organic matter.
2. something deluding or misleading.
Origin:
1555–65; < ML: lit., foolish fire
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To will-o'-the-wisp
ig·nis fat·u·us   (ĭg'nĭs fāch'ōō-əs)   
n.   pl. ig·nes fat·u·i (ĭg'nēz fāch'ōō-ī')

  1. A phosphorescent light that hovers or flits over swampy ground at night, possibly caused by spontaneous combustion of gases emitted by rotting organic matter. Also called friar's lantern, jack-o'-lantern, will-o'-the-wisp, wisp.

  2. Something that misleads or deludes; an illusion.


[Medieval Latin : Latin ignis, fire + Latin fatuus, foolish.]
will-o'-the-wisp   (wĭl'ə-thə-wĭsp')   
n.  

  1. See ignis fatuus.

  2. A delusive or misleading hope.


[From the name Will (nickname for William).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

will-o'-the-wisp

in meteorology, a mysterious light seen at night flickering over marshes; when approached, it advances, always out of reach. The phenomenon is also known as will-o'-the-wisp and ignis fatuus (Latin: "foolish fire"). In popular legend it is considered ominous and is often purported to be the soul of one who has been rejected by hell carrying its own hell coal on its wanderings. The phenomenon is generally believed to be due to the spontaneous ignition of marsh gas, which consists mostly of methane and which is produced by the decomposition of dead plant matter

Learn more about will-o'-the-wisp with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see will-o'-the-wisp on Thesaurus | Reference
Will O' The Wisp
Low prices on new & used music. Qualified orders over $25 ship free
Amazon.com/music
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way