the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The indistinct and magnified appearance of objects seen in particular states of the atmosphere. See mirage.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A coming vaguely into view.
n. A form of mirage in which distant objects, usually across water, appear abnormally elevated above their true positions, this displacement being accompanied in many cases by a vertical magnification.
Word Usage
"The witness said Jackson is facing hundreds of millions of dollars of debt and what he called a looming financial crisis."