Noun: will-o'-the-wisp ,wi-lu-dhu'wisp
- A pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground
"The eerie glow of the will-o'-the-wisp led many to believe in supernatural occurrences in the swamp";
- friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern
- An illusion that misleads
"The promise of easy wealth proved to be a will-o'-the-wisp";
- ignis fatuus
Derived forms: will-o'-the-wisps
Type of: fancy, fantasy, illusion, light, phantasy [archaic], visible light, visible radiation
Encyclopedia: Will-o'-the-wisp