- Beatific vision
- Vision Vi"sion, n. [OE. visioun, F. vision, fr. L. visio, from
videre, visum, to see: akin to Gr. ? to see, ? I know, and E.
wit. See {Wit}, v., and cf. {Advice}, {Clairvoyant}, {Envy},
{Evident}, {Provide}, {Revise}, {Survey}, {View}, {Visage},
{Visit}.]
1. The act of seeing external objects; actual sight.
[1913 Webster]
Faith here is turned into vision there. --Hammond. [1913 Webster]
2. (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. [1913 Webster]
3. That which is seen; an object of sight. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
4. 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. [1913 Webster]
The baseless fabric of this vision. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
No dreams, but visions strange. --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]
5. Hence, something unreal or imaginary; a creation of fancy. --Locke. [1913 Webster]
{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}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.