trickoftheeye
nounUK /ˌtrɪk əv ði ˈaɪ/
US /ˌtrɪk əv ði ˈaɪ/
Something that looks real but is just a clever fake that fools your eyes.
The magician made the coin vanish, but it was just a trick of the eye.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A visual effect that makes you see something that is not really there.
The desert heat created a trick of the eye that looked like water.
3. A clever way of hiding or changing something so people are fooled.
The mirror on the wall was a trick of the eye that made the room seem bigger.
4. A false appearance caused by light or distance.
The faraway mountain looked tiny, but that was only a trick of the eye.