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will-o'-the-wisp
[ wil-uh-thuh-wisp ]
/ ˈwɪl ə ðəˈwɪsp /
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noun
anything that deludes or misleads by luring on.
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Origin of will-o'-the-wisp
OTHER WORDS FROM will-o'-the-wisp
willo'-the-wispish; especially British, willo'-the-wispy, adjectiveWords nearby will-o'-the-wisp
williwaw, Willkie, will-less, Willmar City, will not hear of, will-o'-the-wisp, Willoughby, willow, Willowbrook, willower, willow family
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use will-o'-the-wisp in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for will-o'-the-wisp
will-o'-the-wisp
/ (ˌwɪləðəˈwɪsp) /
noun
Also called: friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern a pale flame or phosphorescence sometimes seen over marshy ground at night. It is believed to be due to the spontaneous combustion of methane or other hydrocarbons originating from decomposing organic matter
a person or thing that is elusive or allures and misleads
Derived forms of will-o'-the-wisp
will-o'-the-wispish or will-o'-the-wispy, adjectiveWord Origin for will-o'-the-wisp
C17: originally Will with the wisp, from Will short for William and wisp in former sense of a twist of hay or straw burning as a torch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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