FANCY, display, showing forth, as a philosophical term, the representative power of the mind. "Fancy" is a shortened form of the older "phantasy" and dates from the 15th century. (Deriva tion is through the O.Fr. fantasie, mod. fantaisie, from the Latin ized form of the Greek tavraQia, 4aPT ELP, q5aivaav, to show). The older form "fantasy," which is now chiefly used poetically, was in its early application synonymous with imagination, the mental ability to form representations or images of things not present to the senses; it is more usually, in this sense, applied to the lighter forms of the imagination. "Fancy" also commonly means inclination, whim, caprice. The more learned form, "phan tasy," as also such words as "phantom" and "phantasm," are chiefly confined to visionary imaginings.