fancier
[fan-see-er]
- a person having a liking for or interest in something; enthusiast: a fancier of sports cars.
- a person who breeds animals, plants, etc., especially in order to improve the strain: a horse fancier.
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Origin of fancier
fancy
[fan-see]
- imagination or fantasy, especially as exercised in a capricious manner.
- the artistic ability of creating unreal or whimsical imagery, decorative detail, etc., as in poetry or drawing.
- a mental image or conception: He had happy fancies of being a famous actor.
- an idea or opinion with little foundation; illusion: Her belief that she can sing is a mere fancy.
- a caprice; whim; vagary: It was his fancy to fly to Paris occasionally for dinner.
- capricious preference; inclination; a liking: to take a fancy to walking barefoot in the streets.
- critical judgment; taste.
- the breeding of animals to develop points of beauty or excellence.
- love.
- the fancy, Archaic. people deeply interested in a sport, art, etc.
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- made, designed, grown, adapted, etc., to please the taste or fancy; of superfine quality or exceptional appeal: fancy goods; fancy fruits.
- ornamental; decorative; not plain: a cake with a fancy icing.
- depending on imagination or caprice; whimsical; irregular: a fancy conception of time.
- bred to develop points of beauty or excellence, as an animal.
- much too costly; exorbitant or extravagant: a consultant who charges fancy fees.
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- to form a conception of; picture to oneself: Fancy living with that egotist all your life!
- to believe without being absolutely sure or certain: I fancy you are my new neighbor.
- to take a liking to; like.
- to breed to develop a special type of animal.
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- (used as an exclamation of mild surprise): They invited you, too? Fancy!
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- fancy up, to make superficially showy by way of improvement: an old car fancied up with a bright new paint job.
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Origin of fancy
Synonyms
See more synonyms for fancy on Thesaurus.com2. Fancy, fantasy, imagination refer to qualities in literature or other artistic composition. The creations of fancy are casual, whimsical, and often amusing, being at once less profound and less moving or inspiring than those of imagination: letting one's fancy play freely on a subject; an impish fancy. Fantasy now usually suggests an unrestrained or extravagant fancy, often resulting in caprice: The use of fantasy in art creates interesting results. The term and concept of creative imagination are less than two hundred years old; previously only the reproductive aspect had been recognized, hardly to be distinguished from memory. “Creative imagination” suggests that the memories of actual sights and experiences may so blend in the mind of the writer or artist as to produce something that has never existed before—often a hitherto unperceived vision of reality: to use imagination in portraying character and action. 3. thought, notion, impression, idea; phantasm. 5. quirk, humor, crotchet. 11. fine, elegant, choice. 12. decorated, ornate. 16. envision, conceive, imagine.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for fancier
Contemporary Examples
As I worked at fancier restaurants, we served various Pilsners, Amber Ales, India Pale Ales, and a multitude of microbrews.
They fought over it and cried over it, and they eventually decided to go for the fancier affair.
While there may be fancier options, I liked the comfort of knowing these guys are doing this all day, every day.
Historical Examples
He knew them as a trainer knows horses, or a fancier knows dogs.
The Legacy of GreeceVarious
Why, she changed her name to one fancier that you might have heard talk of?
The Thing from the LakeEleanor M. Ingram
Having been a fancier himself, Billy knew how the birds were housed.
Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in GermanyHorace Porter
For when has the character of the voice influenced a fancier in selecting?
Birds in Town and VillageW. H. Hudson
No fancier than your own, commented Fudge, still a trifle disgruntled.
The Lucky SeventhRalph Henry Barbour
fancier
- a person with a special interest in something
- a person who breeds plants or animals, often as a pastimea bird fancier
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fancy
- not plain; ornamented or decorativea fancy cake; fancy clothes
- requiring skill to perform; intricatea fancy dance routine
- arising in the imagination; capricious or illusory
- (often used ironically) superior in quality or impressivea fancy course in business administration
- higher than expectedfancy prices
- (of a domestic animal) bred for particular qualities
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- a sudden capricious idea; whim
- a sudden or irrational liking for a person or thing
- the power to conceive and represent decorative and novel imagery, esp in poetry. Fancy was held by Coleridge to be more casual and superficial than imaginationSee imagination (def. 4)
- an idea or thing produced by this
- a mental image
- taste or judgment, as in art of dress
- Also called: fantasy, fantasia music a composition for solo lute, keyboard, etc, current during the 16th and 17th centuries
- the fancy archaic those who follow a particular sport, esp prize fighting
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- to picture in the imagination
- to suppose; imagineI fancy it will rain
- (often used with a negative) to likeI don't fancy your chances!
- (reflexive) to have a high or ill-founded opinion of oneselfhe fancied himself as a doctor
- informal to have a wish for; desireshe fancied some chocolate
- British informal to be physically attracted to (another person)
- to breed (animals) for particular characteristics
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- Also: fancy that! an exclamation of surprise or disbelief
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Word Origin
C15 fantsy, shortened from fantasie; see fantasy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for fancier
fancy
n.
mid-15c., contraction of fantasy, it took the older and longer word's sense of "inclination, whim, desire." Meaning "fans of an amusement or sport, collectively" is attested by 1735, especially (though not originally) of the prize ring. The adjective is recorded from mid-18c.
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fancy
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with fancier
fancy
see flight of fancy; footloose and fancy-free; take a fancy to; tickle one's fancy;.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.