Word Direct Answers

What does "vision" mean?

Vision: (Physiol.) The faculty of seeing; sight; one of the five senses, by which colors and the physical qualities of external objects are appreciated as a result of the stimulating action of light on the sensitive retina, an expansion of the optic nerve.

Additional senses

  1. 2.That which is seen; an object of sight. Shak.
  2. 3.Especially, that which is seen otherwise than by the ordinary sight, or the rational eye; a supernatural, prophetic, or imaginary sight; an apparition; a phantom; a specter; as, the visions of Isaiah. The baseless fabric of this vision. Shak. No dreams, but visions strange. Sir P. Sidney.
  3. 4.Hence, something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy. Locke. Arc of vision (Astron.), the arc which measures the least distance from the sun at which, when the sun is below the horizon, a star or planet emerging from his rays becomes visible. -- Beatific vision (Theol.), the immediate sight of God in heaven. -- Direct vision (Opt.), vision when the image of the object falls directly on the yellow spot (see under Yellow); also, vision by means of rays which are not deviated from their original direction. -- Field of vision, field of view. See under Field. -- Indirect vision (Opt.), vision when the rays of light from an object fall upon the peripheral parts of the retina. -- Reflected vision, or Refracted vision, vision by rays reflected from mirrors, or refracted by lenses or prisms, respectively. -- Vision purple. (Physiol.) See Visual purple, under Visual.
  4. 5.To see in a vision; to dream. For them no visioned terrors daunt, Their nights no fancied specters haunt. Sir W. Scott.

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