Will-o'-the-wisp
1will-o'-the-wisp — [wil′ə thə wisp′] n. [earlier Will with the wisp < Will (nickname for WILLIAM1) + WISP] 1. JACK O LANTERN (sense 1) 2. any hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach …
2will-o'-the-wisp — 1660s, earlier Will with the wisp (c.1600), from the masc. proper name Will + wisp bundle of hay or straw used as a torch …
3will-o'-the-wisp — ► NOUN 1) a phosphorescent light seen hovering or floating at night on marshy ground, thought to result from the combustion of natural gases. 2) a person or thing that is difficult or impossible to reach or catch. ORIGIN originally as Will with… …
4Will-o'-the-wisp — n. See {Ignis fatuus}. [1913 Webster] …
5will-o'-the-wisp — Something that deceives by its appearance is a will o’ the wisp; it looks good, but turns out to be a disappointment …
6will-o'-the-wisp — will o the wisp; will o the wisp·ish; …
7will i the wisp — will i(n) the wisp see will o the wisp …
8will in the wisp — will i(n) the wisp see will o the wisp …
9will o' the wisp — [ ,wıl əðə wısp ] noun count 1. ) LITERARY something that is impossible to achieve 2. ) LITERARY someone you cannot depend on 3. ) a blue light caused by burning gases that you sometimes see at night over wet ground …
10will o' the wisp — n [C usually singular] 1.) someone that you can never completely depend on, or something that you can never achieve 2.) a blue moving light caused by natural gases, that can be seen over wet ground at night …
