HALLUCINATION


Meaning of HALLUCINATION in English

/ həˌluːsɪˈneɪʃn; NAmE / noun

1.

[ C , U ] the fact of seeming to see or hear sb/sth that is not really there, especially because of illness or drugs :

to have hallucinations

High temperatures can cause hallucination.

2.

[ C ] something that is seen or heard when it is not really there :

Was the figure real or just a hallucination?

HELP NOTE : Some speakers do not pronounce the 'h' at the beginning of hallucination and use 'an' instead of 'a' before it. This now sounds old-fashioned.

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WORD ORIGIN

early 17th cent.: from Latin hallucinatio(n-) , from the verb hallucinari , from Greek alussein be uneasy or distraught.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.