ignis fatuus

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>ignis fatuus</strong> &#149; \IG-nis FATCH-uh-wus\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>An <em>ignis fatuus</em> is a light that sometimes appears in the night over marshy ground and is often attributable to the combustion of gas from decomposed organic matter. The term can also refer to a deceptive goal or hope.</p> <p>// An <em>ignis fatuus</em> hovered above the horizon as we made our late trek home. </p> <p>// The film explores how people fall victim to the <em>ignis fatuus</em> of religious cults. </p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignis%20fatuus">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"The flickering lights that led superstitious voyagers astray are not mere legends. So-called <em>ignis fatuus</em>, or 'foolish fire,' is a real phenomenon: a ball of flame that hovers above a marsh’s dark, still water for a few minutes before dissipating into the night." — Benji Jones, <em>Popular Science</em>, 31 Oct. 2018</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Ignis fatuus</em> is a Latin term meaning, literally, "foolish fire." Other names for this light are <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jack-o%27-lantern"><em>jack-o'-lantern</em></a> and <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/will-o'-the-wisp"><em>will-o'-the-wisp</em></a>—both of which are connected to folklore about mysterious men, Jack and Will, who carry a lantern or a wisp of light at night. A Scottish name for <em>ignis fatuus</em> is <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spunkie"><em>spunkie</em></a>, from <em>spunk</em>, meaning "spark" or "a small fire." It has also been told that <em>ignes fatui</em> (the Latin plural form) are roaming souls. No doubt these stories spooked listeners by candlelight, but in time, a