n.
Pronunciation: fan- ' t ā -zh ə , -z(h) ē - ə ; ˌ fan-t ə - ' z ē - ə
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian, literally, fancy, from Latin phantasia ― more at FANCY
Date: 1724
1 : a free usually instrumental composition not in strict form
2 a : a work (as a poem or play) in which the author's fancy roves unrestricted b : something possessing grotesque, bizarre, or unreal qualities