Question

mirage noun A mirage is a sort of optical illusion, a reflection of light that can trick the mind into interpreting the sight as an apparently solid thing. It makes sense, therefore, that the word mirage has its roots in the concept of vision. Mirage was borrowed into English at the dawn of the 19th century from the French verb mirer ("to look at"), which also gave us the word mirror. Mirer in turn derives from Latin mirari ("to wonder at"). Mirari is also the ancestor of the English words admire, miracle, and marvel, as well as the rare adjective mirific (meaning "marvelous"). 1 : an illusion sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over hot pavement that looks like a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted2 : something illusory and unattainable like a mirage

Accepted Answer

March 26, 2016 muh-RAHZH The members of the caravan thought they spied water ahead, but it turned out to be a mirage."Apparently, my [computer science] major lets me magically solve people's technical problems, even if I haven't been explicitly trained how to do so. It seems like the field is shrouded in esotericism. That impression, however, is really just a mirage." — Keshav Tadimeti, The Daily Bruin (University of California, Los Angeles), 8 Feb. 2016

Word	mirage
Date	March 26, 2016
Type	noun
Syllables	muh-RAHZH
Etymology	A mirage is a sort of optical illusion, a reflection of light that can trick the mind into interpreting the sight as an apparently solid thing. It makes sense, therefore, that the word mirage has its roots in the concept of vision. Mirage was borrowed into English at the dawn of the 19th century from the French verb mirer ("to look at"), which also gave us the word mirror. Mirer in turn derives from Latin mirari ("to wonder at"). Mirari is also the ancestor of the English words admire, miracle, and marvel, as well as the rare adjective mirific (meaning "marvelous").
Examples	The members of the caravan thought they spied water ahead, but it turned out to be a mirage. "Apparently, my [computer science] major lets me magically solve people's technical problems, even if I haven't been explicitly trained how to do so. It seems like the field is shrouded in esotericism. That impression, however, is really just a mirage." — Keshav Tadimeti, The Daily Bruin (University of California, Los Angeles), 8 Feb. 2016
Definition	1 : an illusion sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over hot pavement that looks like a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted 2 : something illusory and unattainable like a mirage

Mirage Word English Mirer Mirari Water March Noun