I. transitive verb (fancied; fancying)
Date: 14th century
to have a fancy for ; like , to form a conception of ; imagine ,
3. to believe mistakenly or without evidence, to believe without being certain , to visualize or interpret as , see: think
II. noun (plural fancies)
Etymology: Middle English fantasie, fantsy imagination, image, illusion, preference, from Anglo-French fantasie illusion, from Latin phantasia, from Greek, appearance, imagination, from phantazein to present to the mind (middle voice, to imagine), from phainein to show; akin to Old English gebōned polished, Greek phōs light
Date: 15th century
1. a liking formed by caprice rather than reason ; inclination , amorous fondness ; love ,
2. notion , whim , an image or representation of something formed in the mind, fantastic quality or state,
4. imagination especially of a capricious or delusive sort, the power of conception and representation used in artistic expression (as by a poet), taste , judgment ,
6. devotees of some particular art, practice, or amusement, the object of interest of such a fancy,
III. adjective (fancier; -est)
Date: 1646
dependent or based on fancy ; whimsical ,
2. a. not plain ; ornamental , swanky 2, posh , b. of particular excellence or highest grade , impressive , bred especially for bizarre or ornamental qualities that lack practical utility, based on conceptions of the fancy ,
4. dealing in fancy goods, extravagant , executed with technical skill and style , parti-color , fancily adverb fanciness noun