Fata Morgana

• fata morgana

Borrowed from Italian fata Morgana (“Morgan le Fay”), from fata (“fairy”) + Morgana (“Morgan”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌfɑːtə mɔːˈɡɑːnə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌfɑtə mɔɹˈɡɑnə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːnə

Fata Morgana (plural Fata Morganas)

1. A form of mirage seen just above the horizon, caused by a temperature inversion in the atmosphere, in which multiple upright and inverted images of a distant object appear to be stacked on top of each other in a highly distorted fashion; especially one seen at sea, and particularly in the Strait of Messina.

   Hypernym: mirage

• Morgan le Fay

• Fatamorgana (nonstandard, but common)

Ca. 1800, from Italian fata Morgana, which see. The underlying fictional character of Morgan le Fay was already known in Middle High German as Feimurgān. The spelling as two unconnected nouns is somewhat unusual, but may be due to the derivation from a proper noun.

• IPA^(key): /ˌfa(ː)ta mɔʁˈɡaːna/

Fata Morgana f (genitive Fata Morgana, plural Fata Morganas or Fata Morganen)

1. mirage

   Synonym: Luftspiegelung

• In German, the term is not particularly associated with the sea, but refers to any mirage including those of the desert.

• fata morgana

Borrowed from Italian fata Morgana (“Morgan le Fay”), from fata (“fairy”) + Morgana (“Morgan”).

Fata Morgana f or (less common) m (uncountable)

1. Fata Morgana (form of mirage caused by temperature inversion)

   Hypernym: miragem