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FANCY (a shortened form, dating from the 15th century, of " fantasy," which is derived through the O. Fr. fantasie, modern fantaisie. from the Latinized form of the Gr. cbavraoia, Oavrai'ecv, Oat Pais, to show)
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FANCY (a shortened form, dating from the 15th century, of " fantasy," which is derived through the O. Fr. fantasie, modern fantaisie. from the Latinized form of the Gr. cbavraoia, Oavrai'ecv, Oat Pais, to show), display, showing forth, as a philosophical term, the presentative power of the mind. The word " fancy " and the older form " fantasy," which is now chiefly used poetic-ally, was in its early application synonymous with imagination, the mental faculty of creating representations or images of things not present to the senses; it is more usually, in this sense, applied to the lighter forms of the imagination. " Fancy " also commonly means inclination, whim, caprice. The more learned form phantasy," as also such words as " phantom " and " phantasm," is chiefly confined to visionary imaginings.