will-o'-the-wisp noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of will-o'-the-wisp noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

will-o'-the-wisp

noun

NAmE//ˌwɪl ə ðə ˈwɪsp//

[usually singular]

1a thing that is impossible to obtain; a person that you cannot depend on

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2a blue light that is sometimes seen at night on soft wet ground and is caused by natural gases burning

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