Looming

Looming \Loom"ing\, n.
   The indistinct and magnified appearance of objects seen in
   particular states of the atmosphere. See {Mirage}.
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Loom \Loom\ (l[=oo]m), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Loomed} (l[=oo]md);
   p. pr. & vb. n. {Looming}.] [OE. lumen to shine, Icel. ljoma;
   akin to AS. le['i]ma light, and E. light; or cf. OF. lumer to
   shine, L. luminare to illumine, lumen light; akin to E.
   light. [root]122. See {Light} not dark.]
   1. To appear above the surface either of sea or land, or to
      appear enlarged, or distorted and indistinct, as a distant
      object, a ship at sea, or a mountain, esp. from
      atmospheric influences; as, the ship looms large; the land
      looms high.
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            Awful she looms, the terror of the main. --H. J.
                                                  Pye.
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   2. To rise and to be eminent; to be elevated or ennobled, in
      a moral sense.
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            On no occasion does he [Paul] loom so high, and
            shine so gloriously, as in the context. --J. M.
                                                  Mason.
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   3. To become imminent; to impend.
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Mirage \Mi`rage"\, n. [F., fr. mirer to look at carefully, to
   aim, se mirer to look at one's self in a glass, to reflect,
   to be reflected, LL. mirare to look at. See {Mirror}.]
   An optical effect, sometimes seen on the ocean, but more
   frequently in deserts, due to total reflection of light at
   the surface common to two strata of air differently heated.
   The reflected image is seen, commonly in an inverted
   position, while the real object may or may not be in sight.
   When the surface is horizontal, and below the eye, the
   appearance is that of a sheet of water in which the object is
   seen reflected; when the reflecting surface is above the eye,
   the image is seen projected against the sky. The {fata
   Morgana} and {looming} are species of mirage.
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         By the mirage uplifted the land floats vague in the
         ether,
         Ships and the shadows of ships hang in the motionless
         air.                                     --Longfellow.
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41 Moby Thesaurus words for "looming":
      about to be, already in sight, approaching, at hand, brewing,
      close, close at hand, coming, fata morgana, forthcoming, future,
      gathering, going to happen, immediate, imminent, impendent,
      impending, in danger imminent, in prospect, in reserve, in store,
      in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, instant,
      lowering, lurking, menacing, mirage, near, near at hand, nearing,
      on the horizon, overhanging, preparing, that will be, threatening,
      to come, upcoming, waiting