Fata Morgana

American  

[fah-tah mawr-gah-nah] / ˈfɑ tɑ mɔrˈgɑ nɑ /

noun

1. Meteorology. a mirage consisting of multiple images, as of cliffs and buildings, that are distorted and magnified to resemble elaborate castles, often seen near the Straits of Messina.

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Fata Morgana British  

/ ˈfɑːtə mɔːˈɡɑːnə, ˈfaːta mɔrˈɡaːna /

noun

1. a mirage, esp one in the Strait of Messina attributed to the sorcery of Morgan le Fay

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Etymology

Origin of Fata Morgana

1810–20; < Italian, translation of Morgan le Fay, associated in literature with magical castles

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Fata Morgana

Carlos Iturralde's "Fata Morgana" was a sonic mirage, with a trio of winds offstage mysteriously altering the sounds of violin, cello and bass on stage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2015

On Thursday, he'll host a 7 p.m. screening of Werner Herzog's "Fata Morgana," a film that has inspired Glawogger's work.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2012

Fata Morgana is a linguistic tour de force set in the aftermath of 9/11 and is both celebrated and controversial.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 18, 2011

His famed Hope, Fata Morgana, and Una and the Red Cross Knight, were elegant, Raphael-like and beautiful enough to stick in the public's mind.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the evening we felt from time to time some warm blasts of wind from the east, and enjoyed for nearly an hour the delightful spectacle of a "Fata Morgana."

From Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara, Volume I (Commodore B. Von Wullerstorf-Urbair,) Undertaken by Order of the Imperial Government in the Years 1857, 1858, & 1859, Under the Immediate Auspices of His I. and R. Highness the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, Commander-In-Chief of the Austrian Navy. by Scherzer, Karl Ritter von