Word of the Day

: November 4, 2007

fata morgana

noun fah-tuh-mor-GAH-nuh

What It Means

: mirage

fata morgana in Context

"After driving for days," wrote Marisol, "we finally caught sight of the Rocky Mountains, rising above the horizon like a fata morgana."

Did You Know?

"Fata Morgana" is the Italian name for Morgan le Fay (meaning "Morgan the Fairy"), a sorceress of medieval legends. This sister of the legendary King Arthur is sometimes portrayed as the ruler of the island paradise Avalon and is said to have had a number of magical powers, with which she caused a great deal of trouble. Among her powers, say some versions of the legend, was the ability to change shape, and she has been blamed for causing complex mirages over bodies of water, especially in the Strait of Messina. Today we know that such optical illusions are really caused by atmospheric conditions, but we still sometimes use "fata morgana" as a synonym of "mirage."