Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Hallucination |
HallucinationNoun1. Illusory perception; a common symptom of severe mental disorder. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "hallucination" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references) |
Etymology: Hallucination \Hal*lu`ci*na"tion\, noun. [Latin expression hallucinatio: compare to the French expression hallucination.]. (Websters 1913) |
| Domain | Definitions |
Health | A sense perception without a source in the external world; a perception of an external stimulus object in the absence of such an object. (references) |
Medicine | A false interpretation of a genuine percept. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A hallucination is a sensory perception in the absence of an external stimulus. It may occur in any sensory modality - visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile or mixed.
Florid hallucinations are usually associated with drug use, (particularly hallucinogenic drugs), sleep deprivation, psychosis or neurological illness.
However, studies have shown that hallucinatory experiences are common across the population as a whole. Previous studies, one as early as 18941, have reported that approximately 10% of the population experience hallucinations. A recent survey of over 13,000 people2 reported a much higher figure with almost 39% of people reported hallucinatory experiences, 27% of which reported daytime hallucinations, mostly outside the context of illness or drug use. From this survery, olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) hallucinations seem the most common in the general population.
Auditory hallucinations (particularly of one or more talking voices) are particularly associated with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, and hold special significance in diagnosing these conditions. This does not mean that the experience of 'hearing voices' is necessarily a sign of mental illness and many people may have these or similar hallucinations without ever becoming impaired or distressed in any way.
Various theories have been put forward to explain the occurrence of hallucinations. When psychodynamic (Freudian) theories were popular in psychiatry, hallucinations were seen as a projection of unconscious wishes and desires. As biological theories have become orthodox, hallucinations are more often thought of (by psychiatrists at least) as being caused by functional deficits in the brain. With reference to mental illness, the function (or dysfunction) of the neurotransmitter dopamine is thought to be particularly important3.
Psychological research has argued that hallucinations may result from biases in what are known as metacognitive abilities4. These are abilities that allow us to monitor or draw inferences from our own internal psychological states (such as intentions, memories, beliefs and thoughts). The ability to discriminate between self-generated and external sources of information is considered to be an important metacognitive skill and one which may break down to cause hallucinatory experiences.
A rarely expressed but persistent alternate explanation of hallucinations, espoused by non-materialists, is that people prone to hallucinations can sometimes perceive non-physical phenomena such as angels, visions or the voices of departed spirits or demons.
The first usage of the word 'hallucination' in the English language is recorded as by the English physician Sir Thomas Browne in 1642.
See also
External links
References
1Sidgewick, H., Johnson, A, Myers, FWH et al (1894) Report on the census of hallucinations. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, 34, 25-394.
2Ohayon MM. (2000) Prevalence of hallucinations and their pathological associations in the general population. Psychiatry Research, 97(2-3), 153-64.
3Kapur S. (2003) Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(1), 13-23.
4Bentall RP. (1990) The illusion of reality: a review and integration of psychological research on hallucinations. Psychological Bulletin, 107(1), 82-95.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Hallucination."
Synonym: HallucinationSynonym: error. (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Error | Heresy; (heterodoxy); hallucination; (insanity); false light; (fallacy of vision); dream; (fancy); fable; (untruth); bias; (misjudgment); misleading; Verb: |
Insanity | Insanity, lunacy; madness; Adjective: mania, rabies, furor, mental alienation, aberration; paranoia, schizophrenia; dementation, dementia, demency; phrenitis, phrensy, frenzy, raving, incoherence, wandering, delirium, calenture of the brain; delusion, hallucination; lycanthropy; brain storm. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Hallucination |
| English words defined with "hallucination": auditory hallucination ♦ Decipiency ♦ hallucinatory ♦ pink elephants, Planetary aberration, pseudohallucination ♦ visual hallucination ♦ Writ of error ♦ zoopsia. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "hallucination": Multi-User Shared Hallucination ♦ Schizophrenia, Paranoid. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Hallucination" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Danish (hallucination), French (hallucination). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Werll thats the nicest thing a beer induced hallucination has said to me, let us be chums (Undergrads; writing credit: Kid Vegas) The technology implanted in our brains, sir. We're looking at some kind of visual communication interface controlled hallucination. (Stargate SG-1; writing credit: Robert C. Cooper; Brad Wright) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Hallucination Generation (1966) Hungry Hank's Hallucination (1912) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Music |
|
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | It was a hallucination. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Hallucination" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Hallucination" is used about 50 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 50 | 48,117 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "hallucination": auditory hallucination ♦ tactual hallucination ♦ visual hallucination. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
hallucination | 27 |
hallucination record | 7 |
hallucination olfactory | 6 |
drug hallucination | 3 |
auditory hallucination | 3 |
hallucination tactile | 2 |
hallucination picture | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "hallucination"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | haluçinacion, vegulli, shajni, iluzion (delusion, illusion, phantom, trick, vapor, vapour, will-o'-the-wisp). (various references) | |
Arabic | هلوسة, هذيان (babbler, irrational talk, piffle, rave, raving), إهتلاس. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | халюцинация (dream, fantasy, illusion). (various references) | |
Chinese | 幻觉 (hallucinatory, illusion, illusory). (various references) | |
Czech | halucinace. (various references) | |
Danish | hallucination (hallucinations). (various references) | |
Dutch | hallucinatie (illusion). (various references) | |
Finnish | hourekuva, houre, harha-aistimus (delusion), harha (bias, delusion, distortion, non-sampling error, systematic error), aistiharha. (various references) | |
French | hallucination. (various references) | |
German | halluzination, Wahnbild, sinnestäuschung (hallucinated image, illusion). (various references) | |
Greek | παραίσθηση (delusion, illusion, paraesthesia, paresthesia). (various references) | |
Hebrew | "לוצי צי", "זי" (delirium, delusion, fancy, stardust, superstition). (various references) | |
Hungarian | hallucináció (delusion, fantasy), érzékcsalódás (delusion, illusion, optical illusion). (various references) | |
Indonesian | semu (illusion, transparent), maya (illusion, transparent), khayal (image, imaginary). (various references) | |
Italian | allucinazione (delusion, illusion). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 錯覚 (optical illusion). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | さっかく (alternate interior angles, optical illusion), '"かくしょうじょう, '"かく (austerity, illusion, rigid, rigor, severe, strictness). (various references) | |
Korean | 환각. (various references) | |
Manx | shaghrynys (abberation, absence, bewilderment, blunder, confusion, deviation, deviousness, error, gaffe, maze, mental alienation, quibble, truancy), branlaadys (delerium, dotage, dreaminess, raving). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | allucinationhay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | ilusão (chimaera, chimera, delusion, error detection, fallal, idolater, illusion, lie, maybe, phantasm, semblance, unreality), alucinar, alucinação (delusion, hallway), alucinação. (various references) | |
Romanian | halucinaţie, nãlucire (illusion). (various references) | |
Russian | галлюцинация. (various references) | |
Scottish | flò. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | halucinacija (trip). (various references) | |
Spanish | alucinación. (various references) | |
Swedish | hallucinationer (delirium), synvilla (illusion), sinnesvilla. (various references) | |
Turkish | halisünasyon, sanrı, sanı (assumption, esteem, guess, supposition, thought). (various references) | |
Ukranian | галюцинація (delusion). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | ảo giác (rope). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "hallucination": hallucinations. (additional references) | |
| |
"Hallucination" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: gallicization, haliucination, halluciantion, hallucilation, haluciantion, halucination, haulucination, hillucination, hullucination. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "hallucination" (pronounced huluw'sunā"shun) |
| 7 | -s u n ā" sh u n | assassination, fascination, impersonation, vaccination. |
| 6 | -u n ā" sh u n | abomination, alienation, antidiscrimination, combination, concatenation, contamination, coordination, coronation, culmination, decaffeination, decontamination, denomination, desalination, destination, determination, detonation, discrimination, disinclination, dissemination, divination, domination, elimination, emanation, examination, explanation, extermination, germination, hydrogenation, illumination, imagination, inclination, incoordination, incrimination, indoctrination, insemination, insubordination, intonation, machination, nomination, nondiscrimination, ordination, origination, pagination, pollination, predestination, procrastination, profanation, recrimination, reexamination, rejuvenation, renomination, rumination, subordination, termination, transillumination. |
| 5 | -n ā" sh u n | carnation, condemnation, consternation, damnation, designation, donation, hibernation, impregnation, incarnation, indignation, nation, reincarnation, resignation, stagnation. |
| 4 | -ā" sh u n | abbreviation, abdication, aberration, abrogation, acceleration, acclimation, accommodation, accreditation, accumulation, accusation, acidification, activation, adaptation, adjudication, administration, admiration, adoration, adulation, advocation, affectation, affiliation, affirmation, agglomeration, aggravation, agitation, allegation, alleviation, allocation, alphabetization, alteration, altercation, amalgamation, amelioration, amortization, amplification, amputation, animation, annexation, annihilation, annotation, anticipation, appellation, application, appreciation, approbation, appropriation, approximation, arbitration, argumentation, articulation, aspiration, assimilation, association, augmentation, authentication, authorization, automation, aviation, avocation, balkanization, bifurcation, calculation, calibration, cancellation, cannibalization, capitalization, capitulation, castration, categorization, causation, celebration, centralization, certification, cessation, cetacean, characterization, citation, civilization, clarification, classification, coagulation, codification, cogeneration, cogitation, cohabitation, collaboration, collectivization, colonization, coloration, colorization, commemoration, commendation, commercialization, communication, communization, compensation, compilation, complication, computation, computerization, concentration, conciliation, condensation, confabulation, confederation, configuration, confirmation, confiscation, conflagration, confrontation, conglomeration, congratulation, congregation, conjugation, connotation, consecration, conservation, consideration, consolation, consolidation, constellation, constipation, consultation, consummation, contemplation, continuation, conversation, convocation, cooperation, corporation, correlation, corroboration, creation, cremation, criminalization, crustacean, cultivation, dalmatian, decapitation, deceleration, decentralization, decertification, declaration, decoration, decriminalization, dedication, defamation, deflation, deforestation, deformation, degeneration, degradation, dehumanization, dehydration, deification, deinstitutionalization, delegation, deliberation, delineation, demarcation, demilitarization, demobilization, democratization, demodulation, demonization, demonstration, demoralization, denationalization, denuclearization, denunciation, depopulation, deportation, depravation, depreciation, depredation, deprivation, deregulation, derivation, desalinization, desecration, desegregation, desiccation, desolation, desperation, destabilization, detoxication, detoxification, devaluation, devastation, deviation, dictation, differentiation, dilatation, dilation, discoloration, discontinuation, disembarkation, disinflation, disinformation, disintegration, dislocation, disorganization, disorientation, dispensation, disputation, disqualification, dissertation, dissipation, dissociation, distillation, diversification, documentation, domestication, dramatization, duplication, duration, echolocation, edification, education, ejaculation, elaboration, elation, electrification, elevation, elongation, emancipation, embarkation, emigration, emulation, enumeration, equalization, equitation, equivocation, eradication, escalation, estimation, evacuation, evaluation, evaporation, evocation, exacerbation, exaggeration, exasperation, excavation, excitation, exclamation, excommunication, exfoliation, exhalation, exhilaration, exhortation, exhumation, exoneration, expatriation, expectation, experimentation, expiration, explication, exploitation, exploration, expropriation, extrapolation, fabrication, facilitation, falsification, federation, fermentation, fertilization, fibrillation, figuration, filtration, fixation, flirtation, flotation, fluctuation, fluoridation, foliation, formation, formulation, fortification, foundation, fragmentation, frustration, fumigation, gasification, gastrulation, generalization, generation, gentrification, gestation, glaciation, globalization, glorification, gradation, graduation, granulation, gratification, gravitation, gyration, habitation, harmonization, hesitation, hospitalization, humiliation, hybridization, hydration, hyperinflation, identification, illustration, imitation, immigration, immunization, implantation, implementation, implication, importation, improvisation, imputation, inactivation, inauguration, incantation, incapacitation, incarceration, incorporation, incrustation, incubation, indemnification, indentation, indexation, indication, industrialization, infatuation, infestation, infiltration, inflammation, inflation, information, inhabitation, inhalation, initiation, innovation, inoculation, insinuation, inspiration, installation, instigation, institutionalization, instrumentation, insulation, integration, intensification, internationalization, interpretation, interrogation, intimation, intimidation, intoxication, inundation, invalidation, investigation, invitation, invocation, ionization, irradiation, irrigation, irritation, isolation, jubilation, justification, laceration, lactation, legalization, legislation, levitation, liberalization, liberation, libration, ligation, limitation, liquidation, litigation, localization, location, lubrication, magnetization, magnification, malformation, manifestation, manipulation, marginalization, masturbation, maturation, maximization, mechanization, mediation, medication, meditation, menstruation, migration, mineralization, miniaturization, ministration, misallocation, misapplication, misappropriation, miscalculation, mischaracterization, miscommunication, miscreation, misidentification, misinformation, misinterpretation, misrepresentation, mitigation, mobilization, moderation, modernization, modification, modulation, molestation, monopolization, motivation, multiplication, mummification, mutation, mutilation, narration, nationalization, naturalization, navigation, negation, negotiation, neutralization, nitration, nonproliferation, normalization, notation, notification, nucleation, nullification, obfuscation, obligation, observation, occupation, operation, optimization, oration, orchestration, organisation, organization, orientation, ornamentation, oscillation, ossification, ostentation, ovation, overpopulation, overregulation, overvaluation, ovulation, oxidation, pacification, palpitation, participation, pasteurization, penetration, perforation, permutation, perpetuation, personalization, personification, perspiration, perturbation, pigmentation, plantation, polarization, politicization, pontification, popularization, population, precipitation, prefabrication, premeditation, preoccupation, preparation, presentation, preservation, pressurization, privation, privatization, probation, proclamation, procreation, prognostication, proliferation, pronunciation, propagation, proration, prostration, protestation, provocation, publication, punctuation, purification, qualification, quantification, quotation, radiation, radicalization, ramification, ratification, rationalization, reaffirmation, realization, reallocation, reauthorization, recalculation, recantation, recapitalization, recertification, recitation, reclamation, reclassification, recommendation, reconciliation, reconfiguration, reconfirmation, reconsideration, recreation, rectification, recuperation, redecoration, rededication, reevaluation, reflation, reforestation, reformation, refrigeration, refutation, regeneration, regimentation, registration, regulation, rehabilitation, rehydration, reincorporation, reinterpretation, reinvigoration, reiteration, relation, relaxation, relocation, remediation, remuneration, renationalization, renegotiation, renovation, renunciation, reorganization, reparation, repatriation, replication, representation, repudiation, reputation, reregulation, reservation, respiration, restoration, resuscitation, retaliation, retardation, reunification, revaluation, revelation, reverberation, revitalization, revocation, rotation, salvation, sanctification, sanitation, saponification, saturation, securitization, sedation, sedimentation, segmentation, segregation, sensation, separation, sequestration, simplification, simulation, situation, socialization, solicitation, sophistication, specialization, specification, speculation, stabilization, stagflation, standardization, starvation, station, sterilization, stimulation, stipulation, strangulation, subluxation, subsidization, substantiation, suburbanization, suffocation, summation, superstation, syndication, tabulation, taxation, telecommunication, temptation, titillation, toleration, transformation, translation, transplantation, transportation, trepidation, triangulation, tribulation, undervaluation, unification, unionization, urbanization, usurpation, utilization, vacation, vacillation, validation, valuation, vaporization, variation, vegetation, ventilation, verification, vibration, victimization, vilification, vindication, violation, visitation, visualization, vocation, vulgarization, westernization. |
| 3 | -sh u n | abduction, abolition, abortion, absolution, absorption, abstraction, academician, accession, accretion, acquisition, action, addiction, addition, admission, admonition, adoption, advection, affection, affliction, aggression, alliteration, alternation, ambition, ammunition, antiabortion, anticorruption, apparition, apportion, apprehension, ascension, ashen, assertion, assumption, attention, attraction, attribution, attrition, auction, audition, beautician, benediction, brutalization, caption, carburetion, caution, circulation, circumspection, clinician, coalition, coercion, cognition, collection, commission, commotion, compassion, competition, completion, complexion, composition, comprehension, compression, compulsion, compunction, conception, conceptualization, concession, concoction, concussion, condescension, condition, conduction, confection, confession, conjunction, connection, conniption, conscription, constitution, constriction, construction, consumption, contention, contortion, contraception, contraction, contradiction, contraption, contribution, contrition, convection, convention, conviction, convolution, convulsion, correction, corruption, counterrevolution, crucifixion, cushion, deception, decimation, decommission, decomposition, decompression, deconstruction, deduction, defection, definition, deletion, demolition, demotion, dentition, depiction, depletion, deposition, depression, dereliction, description, desertion, destitution, destruction, detection, detention, deterioration, devolution, devotion, diction, dietitian, diffraction, digression, dilution, dimension, diminution, direction, disaffection, disconnection, discretion, discussion, disinfection, disposition, disruption, dissatisfaction, dissection, dissension, dissolution, distinction, distortion, distraction, distribution, dysfunction, edition, egyptian, ejection, election, electrician, electrocution, elocution, emission, emotion, emulsion, encryption, erection, erudition, eruption, eviction, evolution, exaction, exception, excoriation, excretion, execution, exemption, exertion, exhibition, expansion, expedition, exposition, expression, expulsion, extension, extinction, extortion, extraction, extradition, faction, fashion, fiction, fission, flexion, formalization, fraction, freshen, friction, fruition, function, gentian, geriatrician, gumption, hessian, homogenization, hypertension, hypotension, ignition, impassion, imperfection, imposition, impression, inaction, inception, incineration, indiscretion, induction, infarction, infection, inflection, infliction, infraction, inhibition, injection, injunction, inquisition, inscription, insertion, inspection, institution, instruction, insurrection, interaction, interception, intercession, interconnection, interdiction, interjection, intermission, interruption, intersection, introduction, introspection, intuition, invention, junction, jurisdiction, juxtaposition, lilliputian, liposuction, liquefaction, locomotion, logician, lotion, magician, malfunction, malnutrition, mansion, martian, mathematician, mention, midsection, misapprehension, misconception, misimpression, misperception, mission, mortician, motion, munition, musician, nonaggression, nonfiction, nonprescription, notion, nutrition, objection, obsession, obstetrician, obstruction, ocean, omission, opposition, oppression, optician, option, overconsumption, overexpansion, overproduction, overprotection, overreaction, oversimplification, partition, passion, patrician, pediatrician, pension, perception, percussion, perfection, permission, persecution, petition, physician, politician, pollution, portion, position, possession, potion, precaution, precession, preconception, precondition, prediction, predilection, predisposition, preelection, preemption, preignition, premonition, prescription, presumption, presupposition, pretension, prevention, procession, production, profession, progression, prohibition, projection, promotion, proportion, proposition, propulsion, proscription, prosecution, prostitution, protection, ration, reaction, reassertion, reception, recession, recognition, recollection, recondition, reconstruction, redefinition, redemption, redirection, redistribution, reduction, reeducation, reelection, reflection, regression, reimposition, reinspection, reintegration, reintroduction, reinvention, rejection, remission, rendition, repercussion, repetition, reposition, repossession, repression, reproduction, requisition, resolution, restitution, restriction, resumption, resurrection, retention, retraction, retransmission, retribution, revolution, revulsion, rhetorician, sanction, satisfaction, secession, secretion, section, sedition, seduction, selection, session, solution, statistician, submission, subscription, subsection, substation, substitution, subtraction, succession, suction, superstition, supposition, suppression, suspension, suspicion, syncopation, tactician, technician, tension, theoretician, titian, traction, tradition, transaction, transcription, transection, transgression, transition, transmission, tuition, venetian, volition, workstation. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-c-h-i-i-l-l-n-n-o-t-u" | |
-3 letters: anticlinal, inhalation. | |
-4 letters: allantoic, allantoin, clintonia, continual, incaution, inoculant, nicotiana. | |
-5 letters: actinian, cantonal, continua, countian, halation, illation, inaction, inhalant, lunation, national, nautical. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-c-h-i-i-l-l-n-n-o-t-u" | |
+1 letter: hallucinations. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)48 61 6C 6C 75 63 69 6E 61 74 69 6F 6E |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references).... .- .-.. .-.. ..- -.-. .. -. .- - .. --- -. |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
|
Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01001000 01100001 01101100 01101100 01110101 01100011 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)H a l l u c i n a t i o n |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0048 0061 006C 006C 0075 0063 0069 006E 0061 0074 0069 006F 006E |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
|
Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)42677878876975806786758180 |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Quotations: Fiction 8. Usage Frequency | 9. Expressions 10. Expressions: Internet 11. Translations: Modern 12. Derivations | 13. Rhymes 14. Anagrams 15. Orthography 16. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
