noun

allusion

uh-LOO-zhuhn/əˈluːʒn/

An indirect reference to someone or something.

The reader recognizes an allusion to the Trojan horse in the modern book.

Reader recognizes reference to Trojan horse in a modern book, thought image of wooden horse.

Etymology

alLatintoward

+lusLatinto play

+ionLatinaction or result

The “play” root underlies a Latin noun meaning “a playing with” or “a reference to.” Earlier English senses included metaphor and wordplay; the modern sense keeps the reference indirect rather than spelling it out.

In context

Storytime Haven71:11

"What's the glass like to-night, Thalassa?" remarked Robert Turold absently. The allusion was to a weather glass which hung in the hall downstairs.

🌑 The Moon Rock 🌒 | A Haunting Tale of Mystery and Ambition by Arthur J. Rees

More examples

She misses the speaker's allusion to last year's dispute.
Several literary allusions enrich the poem.
His remark was an allusion, not a direct accusation.

Forms

allusion · allusions

allude verb — To refer indirectly to someone or something.

Similar words

reference: Can be direct and explicit rather than indirect.
hint: May suggest a possibility without referring to a known source.