English Explanatory Dictionary

phantasmagoria

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A popular 18th- and 19th-century form of theater entertainment whereby ghostly apparitions are formed.
  2. A series of events involving rapid changes in light intensity and color.
  3. A dreamlike state where real and imagined elements are blurred together.

Pronunciation

/ˌfæntæzməˈɡɒɹi.ə/ /ˌfæntæzməˈɡɔːɹi.ə/ en-us-phantasmagoria.ogg

Word forms

phantasmagoria phantasmagorias phantasmagory fantasmagoria

Etymology

Borrowed from French phantasmagorie, from Ancient Greek φάντασμα (phántasma, “ghost”) + possibly either ἀγορά (agorá, “assembly, gathering”) + the suffix -ia or ἀγορεύω (agoreúō, “to speak publicly”).

Synonyms

magic lantern

Derived words

phantasmagorial phantasmagorian phantasmagoric phantasmagorical phantasmagorically phantasmagorist
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