Fancy

Definitions

1. The imagination.
2. A surname from Old English
3. An image or representation of anything formed in the mind.
4. An opinion or notion formed without much reflection.
5. A whim.
6. Love or amorous attachment.
7. The object of inclination or liking.
8. Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
9. The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.
10. A diamond with a distinctive colour.
11. That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
12. A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing.
13. A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
    obsolete
14. In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
15. A colored neckerchief worn at prizefights to show support for a contender.
    in-compounds, obsolete, slang

Equivalents

26 more languages

العربيةالهوىتخيلحلمخيالهويسوهم+ 3 more

Azərbaycan dilibəzəkli

Българскивъображениеобичамприщявкахаресвам+ 1 more

Bosanskiкаприцфантазија

Catalàfantasia

Češtinafantazie

Esperantofantazioimago

فارسیخیال

Suomihalutahienohienostunutihastuskoristeellinenmieleenjohtumaoikkupäähänpistotehdä mieli+ 6 more

Gaeilgenóisean

Gàidhligsaoilsmaoinich

Galegoacordogostogusto

हिन्दीलहर

Hrvatskiкаприцфантазија

Italianoagognareamanteanelarebramarecapricciodesiderarefanaticofantasiafedeleghiribizzoimmaginareimmaginazioneimpuntaturamaniamaniacopiaceresbandatasognarevolere+ 16 more

日本語ファンシー

Latinafiguratioimaginatioopiparusstudium+ 1 more

Македонскивообразбажелбакаприцукрасенфантазија+ 2 more

Nederlandszich aangetrokken voelen tot iemandzich voorstellen

Polskibogatychciećchimeraekstrawaganckifanaberiafikuśnykaprysnietypowywidzeniewydumanywymyślnywyszukanyzachcianka+ 10 more

Portuguêsfantasiamania

Русскийвоображениекапризмечтанавороченныйпредставлятьприхотьпричудафанта́зияхотеть+ 6 more

Српскикаприцфантазија

Svenskafin-inbillningnyck

Türkçeyaratıcılık

Українськабажатизабаганкауявитиуявля́тихотіти+ 2 more

Examples

“[…] But know⟳ that in the soul / Are many lesser faculties, that serve⟳ / Reason⟳ as chief; among these Fancy next / Her office holds […]”

“In the Spring⟳ a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove; / In the Spring⟳ a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love⟳.”

“Rustic females who habitually chew even pitch or spruce-gum are rendered thereby so repulsive that the fancy refuses to pursue⟳ the horror farther and imagine⟳ it tobacco […]”

“[I]n ten minutes more the sun was up, and blazing so fiercely, that we were glad to cool ourselves in fancy, by talking over salmon-fishings in Scotland and New Brunswick, and wadings in icy streams beneath the black pine-woods.”

“For a time she could not soothe nor convince⟳ him that it was fancy.”

“How now, my lord! why do you keep⟳ alone, / Of sorriest fancies your companions making, / Using those thoughts which should indeed have⟳ died / With them they think⟳ on?”

“Her timbers were olden dreams dreamed long ago, and poets’ fancies made her tall, straight masts, and her rigging was wrought out of the people’s hopes.”

“When you have⟳ well viewed the Scenes and Devillish shapes of this Practicall Metamorphosis, and scan’d them in your serious thoughts, you will wonder⟳ at their audacious phant’sies, who seeme to hold⟳ Specificall deformities, or that any part can seeme unhandsome in their Eyes, which hath appeared good and beautifull unto their Maker […]”

“I have⟳ always had a Fancy, that Learning might be made a Play⟳ and Recreation to Children […]”

“I dare say⟳ I am merely a foolish woman with a young girl's fancies.”

“I had a fancy to learn⟳ to play⟳ the flute.”

“And they’ve taken a fancy to me, Aunt said. Kitto and the others. That means they like⟳ me.”

“He took a fancy to her.”

“For you, fair Hermia, look⟳ you arm yourself / To fit your fancies to your father’s will;”

“Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.”

“the cat fancy”

“He fell out of favor with the boxing fancy after the incident.”

“[…] at a great book sale in London, which had congregated all the Fancy, on a copy⟳ occurring, not one of the company but ourself knew what the mystical title-page meant.”

“18th century, John Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving Land⟳, cited in Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, 1755, London-pride is a pretty fancy, and does well for borders.”

“a French fancy; a fondant fancy; cream fancies”

“[He] ſung thoſe tunes to the ouer-ſchutcht huſwiues, that he heard the Car-men whiſtle, and ſware they were his fancies or his good-nights, […]”

“When you have⟳ mastered plainsies, the regular jack game, and have⟳ learned all the rules, you will be ready to use⟳ this part of the book. A fancy is a variation of plainsies which usually requires more skill than plainsies does.”

“When you get⟳ good at jacks, try⟳ adding a fancy. A fancy is an extra round at the end⟳ of a game. It makes the game a little harder. Jack Be Nimble, Around the World, or Black Widow are some fancies.”

“the yellow fancy; the cream fancy; the blood-red fancy”

CEFR level