mirage

[mi-rahzh]

noun

1. an optical phenomenon, especially in the desert or at sea, by which the image of some object appears displaced above, below, or to one side of its true position as a result of spatial variations of the index of refraction of air.

2. something illusory, without substance or reality.

   Synonyms: fancy, phantom, illusion

3. Military.,  Mirage, any of a series of supersonic, delta-wing, multirole French fighter-bombers.

mirage

/ mɪˈrɑːʒ /

noun

1. an image of a distant object or sheet of water, often inverted or distorted, caused by atmospheric refraction by hot air

2. something illusory

mirage

1. An image formed under certain atmospheric conditions, in which objects appear to be reflected or displaced or in which nonexistent objects seem to appear. For example, the difference in the index of refraction between a low layer of very hot air and a higher level of cold air can cause light rays, travelling down from an object (such as the sky or a cloud) and passing through ever warmer air, to be refracted back up again. An observer viewing these light rays perceives them coming up off the ground, and thus sees the inverted image of the object, which appears lower than the object really is. In this way the sky itself can be reflected, resulting in the mirage of a distant lake.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mirage¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; from French, equivalent to (se) mir(er) “to look at (oneself), be reflected” (from Latin mīrārī “to wonder at”) + -age -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of mirage¹

C19: from French, from ( se ) mirer to be reflected

Example Sentences

Last week’s economic data brought home the reality for many Americans: That what they are experiencing at stores like Walmart is not a mirage.

From Salon

If the promise of AI turns out to be as much of a mirage as dot-coms did, stock investors may face a painful reckoning.

From Los Angeles Times

Tom Andrews, the United Nation's special rapporteur on the rights situation in Myanmar, had in June accused the junta of designing a "mirage of an election exercise" to give itself a veneer of legitimacy.

From BBC

Shimmering in the incandescent light off the Pacific, its existence today seems almost a mirage, a dream from long ago on the verge of waking up to its inherent vulnerabilities.

From Los Angeles Times

But the American dream he once believed in now feels like a mirage.

From BBC