apparition
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English
Etymology
From Middle French apparition, from Latin apparitio, from appareo.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌæp.əɹˈɪʃn̩/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌæp.ɚˈɪʃ.n̩/, /ˌæp.ɚˈɪ.ʃən/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Noun
apparition (plural apparitions)
- An act of becoming visible; appearance; visibility.
- 1855–1858, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC:
- the sudden apparition of the Spaniards
- 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
- The apparition of Lawyer Clippurse occasioned much speculation in that portion of the world.
- The thing appearing; a visible object; a form.
- 1709 August 27 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Tuesday, August 16, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 55; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, , London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.; , 1822, →OCLC:
- […] which apparition, it seems, was you.
- An unexpected, wonderful, or preternatural appearance; especially something such as a ghost or phantom.
- The attic is haunted by the ghostly apparition of a young girl who died there.
- 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
- I think it is the weakness of mine eyes / That shapes this monstrous apparition.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:
- The heavenly bands […] a glorious apparition.
- 1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 24:
- The apparition wobbled in front of Arthur's eyes, though the truth of the matter is probably that Arthur's eyes were wobbling in front of the apparition.
- (astronomy) The first appearance of a star or other luminary after having been invisible or obscured; opposed to occultation.
- (astronomy) A period of consecutive days or nights when a particular celestial body may be observed, beginning with the heliacal rising of the body and ending with its heliacal setting.
Synonyms
- (act of becoming visible): appearance
- (a preternatural appearance): vision
- See also Thesaurus:ghost
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
act of becoming visible
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thing appearing
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unexpected, wonderful, or preternatural appearance
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astronomy: the first appearance of a luminary after having been invisible or obscured
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Translations to be checked
French
Etymology
From Latin appāritiōnem.
Pronunciation
Noun
apparition f (plural apparitions)
- appearance
- ghost
- Synonym: fantôme
- (baseball) plate appearance
- Synonyms: apparition au bâton, présence, présence au bâton
Derived terms
Further reading
- “apparition”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.