/ ˈmɪrɑːʒ; mɪˈrɑːʒ; NAmE məˈrɑːʒ/ noun
1.
an effect caused by hot air in deserts or on roads, that makes you think you can see sth, such as water, which is not there
2.
a hope or wish that you cannot make happen because it is not realistic
SYN illusion :
His idea of love was a mirage.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: from French , from se mirer be reflected, from Latin mirare look at.