fancy

• n. 幻想；想像力；爱好
• adj. 想象的；奇特的；昂贵的；精选的
• vt. 想象；喜爱；设想；自负
• vi. 幻想；想象
• n. (Fancy)人名；(法)方西

缩写自fantasy, 幻想，空想。

fancy

fancy: [15] Ultimately, fancy is the same word as fantasy [15], from which it emerged by a process of contraction and gradually became differentiated in meaning. Both go back originally to the Greek verb phaínein ‘show’ (source also of English diaphanous and phenomenon). From it was derived phantázein ‘make visible’, which produced the noun phantasíā ‘appearance, perception, imagination’ and its associated adjective phantastikós ‘able to make visible’ (and also incidentally phántasma, from which English gets phantasm and phantom).

The noun passed into English via Latin phantasia and Old French fantasie, bringing with it the original Greek senses and also some others which it had picked up on the way, including ‘caprice’. The semantic split between fantasy, which has basically taken the road of ‘imagination’, and fancy, which has tended more to ‘capricious preference’, was more or less complete by about 1600.

The quasi- Greek spelling phantasy was introduced in the 16th century, and has persisted for the noun, although the contemporary phantastic for the adjective has now died out. The Italian form fantasia was borrowed in the 18th century for a fanciful musical composition. (Fancy and fantasy have no etymological connection with the superficially similar fanatic, incidentally, which comes ultimately from Latin fānum ‘temple’.)
=> diaphanous, fantasy, pant, phantom

fancy (n.)

mid-15c., fantsy "inclination, liking," contraction of fantasy. It took the older and longer word's sense of "inclination, whim, desire." Meaning "the productive imagination" is from 1580s. That of "a fanciful image or conception" is from 1660s. Meaning "fans of an amusement or sport, collectively" is attested by 1735, especially (though not originally) of the prize ring. The adjective is recorded from 1751 in the sense "fine, elegant, ornamental" (opposed to plain); later as "involving fancy, of a fanciful nature" (1800). Fancy man attested by 1811.

fancy (v.)

"take a liking to," 1540s, a contraction of fantasien "to fantasize (about)," from fantasy (n.). Meaning "imagine" is from 1550s. Related: Fancied; fancies; fancying. Colloquial use in fancy that, etc. is recorded by 1813.

1. It was packaged in a fancy plastic case with attractive graphics.

它装在一个别致的有漂亮图纹的塑料盒子里。

来自柯林斯例句

2. She did not suspect that his interest was just a passing fancy.

她相信这不过是他一时兴起。

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3. He owned a fancy house out on Lake Agawam.

他在阿格瓦姆湖畔拥有一座豪宅。

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4. He turned up at the fancy dress party as a footballer.

他扮成足球运动员出现在化装舞会上。

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5. The King took a fancy to ordering disguises and masks.

国王迷上了订购化装用品和面具。

来自柯林斯例句