Il*lu"sion (?), n. [F. illusion, L. illusio, fr. illudere, illusum, to illude. See Illude.] 1. An unreal image presented to the bodily or mental vision; a deceptive appearance; a false show; mockery; hallucination.

To cheat the eye with blear illusions.

2. Hence: Anything agreeably fascinating and charming; enchantment; witchery; glamour.

Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise!

3. (Physiol.) A sensation originated by some external object, but so modified as in any way to lead to an erroneous perception; as when the rolling of a wagon is mistaken for thunder.

&fist; Some modern writers distinguish between an illusion and hallucination, regarding the former as originating with some external object, and the latter as having no objective occasion whatever.

4. A plain, delicate lace, usually of silk, used for veils, scarfs, dresses, etc.

Syn. -- Delusion; mockery; deception; chimera; fallacy. See Delusion. Illusion, Delusion. Illusion refers particularly to errors of the sense; delusion to false hopes or deceptions of the mind. An optical deception is an illusion; a false opinion is a delusion. E. Edwards.

• (countable) Anything that seems to be something that it is not.
       We saw what looked like a tiger among the trees, but it was an illusion caused by the shadows of the branches.
       Using artificial additives, scientists can create the illusion of fruit flavours in food.
  
• (countable) A belief in something that is in fact not true.
       Jane has this illusion that John is in love with her.
  
• (countable) A magician's trick.
  
• (uncountable) The fact of being an illusion (in any of the above senses)
  
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