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ignis fatuus
[ ig-nis fach-oo-uhs ]
/ ˈɪg nɪs ˈfætʃ u əs /
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noun, plural ig·nes fat·u·i [ig-neez fach-oo-ahy]. /ˈɪg niz ˈfætʃ uˌaɪ/.
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.
something deluding or misleading.
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Origin of ignis fatuus
1555–65; <Medieval Latin: literally, foolish fire
Words nearby ignis fatuus
Ignatius of Loyola, Saint, igneous, igneous rock, ignescent, ignimbrite, ignis fatuus, ignite, igniter, ignition, ignition coil, ignition key
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ignis fatuus in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ignis fatuus
ignis fatuus
/ (ˈɪɡnɪs ˈfætjʊəs) /
noun plural ignes fatui (ˈɪɡniːz ˈfætjʊˌaɪ)
another name for will-o'-the-wisp
Word Origin for ignis fatuus
C16: from Medieval Latin, literally: foolish fire
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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