fancy
Part of speech: noun
adj
verb
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English fansy, fantsy, a contraction of fantasy, fantasye, fantasie, from Old French fantasie, from Medieval Latin fantasia, from Late Latin phantasia (“an idea, notion, fancy, phantasm”), from Ancient Greek φαντασία (phantasía), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to render visible”), from φαντός (phantós, “visible”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to make visible”); from the same root as φάος (pháos, “light”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti, from the root *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantasia, fantasy, phantasia, and phantasy.
Inflected forms:
form: fancies
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: fancie
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: fansie
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: phancie
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: phancy
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: fancier
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: fanciest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: fancie
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: fansie
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: phancie
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: phancy
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: fancies
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: fancying
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: fancied
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: fancied
pos: verb
tags: past
form: fancie
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: fansie
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: phancie
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: phancy
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
Senses:
gloss: The imagination.
pos: noun
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.
gloss: An image or representation of anything formed in the mind.
pos: noun
examples: 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.
gloss: An opinion or notion formed without much reflection.
pos: noun
examples: VVhen you have vvell vievved the Scenes and Deviliſh ſhapes of this Practical Metamorphoſis, and ſcan'd them in your ſerious thoughts, you vvill vvonder at their audacious phant'ſies, vvho ſeem to hold Specifical deformities, or that any part can ſeeme unhandſome in their Eyes, vvhich hath appeared good and beautiful 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.
gloss: A whim.
pos: noun
examples: I had a fancy to learn to play the flute.
gloss: Love or amorous attachment.
pos: noun
examples: And they’ve taken a fancy to me, Aunt said. Kitto and the others. That means they like me.
gloss: Liking.
pos: noun
examples: He took a fancy to the goods in the window.
gloss: The object of inclination or liking.
pos: noun
examples: For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself / To fit your fancies to your father’s will;
gloss: Any sport or hobby pursued by a group.
pos: noun
examples: Trainspotting is the fancy of a special lot.
the cat fancy
gloss: The enthusiasts of such a pursuit.
pos: noun
examples: 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.
gloss: A diamond with a distinctive colour.
pos: noun
gloss: That which pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value.
pos: noun
examples: 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.
gloss: A bite-sized sponge cake, with a layer of cream, covered in icing.
pos: noun
examples: a French fancy; a fondant fancy; cream fancies
gloss: A sort of love song or light impromptu ballad.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: [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, […]
gloss: In the game of jacks, a style of play involving additional actions (contrasted with plainsies).
pos: noun
examples: 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.
gloss: A colored neckerchief worn at prizefights to show support for a contender.
pos: noun
tags: in-compounds
obsolete
slang
examples: the yellow fancy; the cream fancy; the blood-red fancy
gloss: Decorative, or featuring decorations, especially intricate or diverse ones.
pos: adj
examples: This is a fancy shawl.
gloss: Of a superior grade.
pos: adj
examples: This box contains bottles of the fancy grade of jelly.
gloss: Executed with skill.
pos: adj
examples: He initiated the game-winning play with a fancy deked saucer pass to the winger.
It took some fancy footwork to make it happen.
gloss: Unnecessarily complicated.
pos: adj
tags: colloquial
examples: I'm not keen on him and his fancy ideas.
gloss: Extravagant; above real value.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: This anxiety never degenerated into a monomania, like that which led his [Frederick the Great's] father to pay fancy prices for giants.
gloss: To appreciate without jealousy or greed.
pos: verb
tags: formal
examples: I fancy your new car, but I like my old one just fine.
gloss: Would like; have a desire for.
pos: verb
tags: UK
examples: I fancy a burger tonight for dinner.
Do you fancy going to town this weekend?
gloss: To be sexually, aesthetically or romantically attracted to.
pos: verb
tags: UK
informal
examples: I fancy that girl over there.
How can you fancie one that lookes so fierce, / Onely diſpoſed to martiall Stratagems? / UUho when he ſhal embrace you in his arms / UUil tell how many thouſand men he ſlew.
“Hanna’s different,” I said.
”Oh yes, isn’t she?” she said scornfully. “Because you fancy her. Well, you’re not likely to impress her talking that way.
gloss: To imagine, suppose.
pos: verb
tags: dated
examples: [dated] I fancy you'll want something to drink after your long journey.
I fancy this is an error.
Fancy meeting you here!
Fancy that! I saw Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy kissing in the garden.
You won't get the gig just because you fancy yourself a musician.
If our search has reached no farther than simile and metaphor, we rather fancy than know.
Quiet and dark, beside him stood the Phantom, with its outstretched hand. When he roused himself from his thoughtful quest, he fancied from the turn of the hand, and its situation in reference to himself, that the Unseen Eyes were looking at him keenly. It made him shudder, and feel very cold.
He fancied he was welcome, because those around him were his kinsmen.
“Fancy a French waiter at a club,” said his friend.
The young Englishman started a little, as if he could not fancy it.
I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odor of camphor was unmistakable.
Appleby […] rose from his seat when Morales came in. He shook hands urbanely, unbuckled his sword, and laid his kepi on the table, and then sat down with an expression of concern in his olive face which Appleby fancied was assumed.
Future prosperity is never guaranteed. [Bernie] Sanders fancies himself a revolutionary, but he's behaving like a reactionary - throwing sand into the gears of progress.
gloss: To form a conception of; to portray in the mind.
pos: verb
examples: he whom I fancy, but can ne'er express
It was such a scene of confusion as you can hardly fancy. All the lockfast places had been broken open in quest of the chart.
gloss: To have a fancy for; to like; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or manners.
pos: verb
examples: We fancy not the cardinal.
gloss: To breed (animals) as a hobby.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: I would recommend this little book very highly to anyone who fancies pigeons, novices and veterans alike.
Related words: fantasy
fancy man
fancypants
fancy woman
fancy is as fancy does
Derived words: blood-red fancy
border fancy
catch someone's fancy
fanciful
fancy-free
fancy mouse
fancy rat
fancy-sick
flight of fancy
strike someone's fancy
take a fancy to
take someone's fancy
tickle someone's fancy
fancible
fancify
fanciless
fanciness
fancy ball
fancy bread
fancy Dan
fancy dress
Fancy Dutch
fancy fair
fancy girl
fancy goods
fancy house
fancy ketchup
fancy line
fancy maid
fancy man
fancy meat
fancymonger
fancy-pants
fancy pants
fancy roller
fancy sauce
fancy-schmancy
fancy shop
fancy stitch
fancy stock
fancy trade
fancywork
fancy work
footloose and fancy free
hyperfancy
nonfancy
overfancy
schmancy
superfancy
unfancy
disfancy
fanciable
fancier
fancy is as fancy does
fancy one's chances
fancy seeing you here
fancy that
fancy up
I don't fancy yours
Translations: