[ad. L. allūsiōn-em, n. of action f. allūdĕre to ALLUDE. Cf. mod.Fr. allusion.]
† 1. Illusion. Obs.
1618. Hist. P. Warbeck, in Harl. Misc. (1793), 59. Resolved in the error of his allusion, he strongly conjectured that [etc.].
† 2. A play upon words, a word-play, a pun. Obs.
1556. Recorde, Cast. Knowl., 4. So dooth that sentence leese his beautye by the translation, for there canne be no suche allusion of woordes in the englyshe.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 426. The battail (in memorie that they threw away their coates) was called by allusion Losecoatefield.
1605. Verstegan, Dec. Intell. Some refer Adolescens to Ἀδολεσχῶν, ‘fond of chit-chat.’ This is not a derivation, but an Allusion.
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, II. III. 25. ‘As they did not like,’ etc. Here is an elegant Paronomasia or allusion on the words εδοκιμασαω and αδοκιμον.
1731. Bailey, Allusion, a dalliance or playing with words alike in sound but unlike in sense.
† 3. A symbolical reference or likening; a metaphor, parable, allegory. Obs.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke, Pref. (R.). By reason of sundry allusions, diuers prouerbes, many figures.
1611. Cotgr., Allusion, an allusion, or likening; an alluding, or applying of one thing unto another.
1635. Quarles, Embl., Introd. (1718), 2. To see the Allusion to our blessed Saviour figured in these Types.
1641. French, Distill., v. (1651), 117. By a sutable allusion the nutriment is taken for the life of man.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. iii. 87. Virtue, to borrow the Christian allusion, is militant here.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., II. 67. If he had pursued the allusion, he must have painted many of the Gallic nobles with the hundred heads of the deadly Hydra.
4. A covert, implied or indirect reference.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., A 2. The verse oft, with allusion, as supposing a full knowing reader, lets slip.
1624. Gataker, Transubst., 95. With more special allusion and application to the water of Baptism.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 142. Those frequent allusions made to them in the Word of God.
1766. Sir A. Mitchell, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 515, IV. 499. His … Majesty smiling, said, I understand your allusion.
1790. Paley, Hor. Paul., I. I. 5. The frequent allusions to the incidents of his private life.
1824. Dibdin, Libr. Comp., 214. To which some allusion has been made in a preceding page.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 730. A very intelligible allusion to the compromise proposed by France.
