To refer to something indirectly or by implication, without explicitly mentioning it. It suggests or hints at something without stating it directly.
From Latin 'alludere,' combining 'ad-' (to) and 'ludere' (to play). Originally meant 'to play with' or 'to jest,' the word developed its sense of indirect reference through the idea of 'playing around' a topic rather than addressing it directly.
Allude comes from Latin 'ludere' (to play), the same root as 'ludicrous' and 'prelude'! The connection to play reveals that allusion is like a verbal game - you're 'playing around' the edges of meaning rather than stating it outright. It's intellectual playfulness!
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