Allusion Definition
ə-lo͝ozhən
allusions
noun
The act of alluding; indirect reference.
Without naming names, the candidate criticized the national leaders by allusion.
American Heritage
The act of alluding.
Webster's New World
An instance of indirect reference.
An allusion to classical mythology in a poem.
American Heritage
An indirect reference; casual mention.
Webster's New World
An indirect reference; a hint; a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned; a covert indication.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Other Word Forms of Allusion
Noun
Singular:
allusion
Plural:
allusionsOrigin of Allusion
-
From Latin allūsiōnem, accusative singular of allūsiō (“the act of playing with”), from allūdō (“play with; allude”), from al-, combining form of ad (“to”), + lūdō (“play”): compare French allusion.
From Wiktionary
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Late Latin allūsiō allūsiōn- a playing with from Latin allūsus past participle of allūdere to play with allude
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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