Definition of: fancy

(fan′sē) noun plural ·cies
1. The power or act of forming pleasing, graceful, whimsical, or odd mental images, or of combining them with little regard to rational processes of construction; imagination in its lower form; hence, in former usage, the re–imaging faculty of the mind; fantasy.
2. Any product of the exercise of this faculty; an imaginary notion, representation, or image; whimsical notion; vagary.
3. A baseless or visionary idea; notion; illusion.
4. An unreasoned liking or fondness, resulting from caprice; preference.
5. A pet pursuit; an object sought after to gratify the taste or a whim without regard to utility; a hobby; fad.
6. Taste exhibited in production; artistic invention; design: The edifice showed a cultivated fancy.
7. Obs. A specter; phantom.
8. Obs. Love.
—the fancy The votaries collectively of any special art, sport, or amusement.
—adjective ·ci·er, ·ci·est
1. Adapted to please the fancy; ornamental; decorative: fancy embroidery.
2. Evolved from the fancy; imaginary; ideal.
3. Capricious; whimsical; fanciful.
4. In commerce, of higher grade than the average; choice; characterized by variety, excellence, or special request: fancy fruits.
5. Extravagant; exorbitant: fancy prices.
6. Selectively bred to a type, as an animal.
7. Performed with exceptional grace and skill: the fancy bowing of a violinist.
—v.t. ·cied, ·cy·ing
1. To imagine; picture.
2. To take a fancy to; like.
3. To believe without proof or conviction; suppose.
4. To breed, as animals, for conventional points of symmetry or beauty. [Short for FANTASY] Synonyms (noun): belief, caprice, conceit, conception, desire, humor, idea, image, imagination, inclination, liking, mood, pre-dilection, supposition, vagary, whim. An intellectual fancy is a mental image or picture founded upon slight or whimsical association or resemblance; a conceit has less of the picturesque and more of the theoretic than a fancy. An intellectual fancy or conceit may be pleasing or amusing, but is never worth serious discussion. An emotional or personal fancy is a capricious belief, idea, or liking formed with slight reason or judgment, and liable to fade as lightly as it was formed. Compare synonyms for DREAM, IDEA, IMAGINATION, INCLINATION, THOUGHT¹, WHIM. Antonyms: actuality, certainty, fact, reality, truth, verity.