Other forms: allusions
An allusion is an indirect mention of something. A literary allusion, an allusion to the affair, make an allusion.
It always takes to, and the point is that the thing is not named, which is what separates it from a reference. It is a different word from illusion, and the two are confused constantly.
1nounallusionAn indirect mention of something.
“The title of the novel is an allusion to a line in Shakespeare.”
allusion is a mention.
Latin allusio means a playing with, from alludere, to play with.
Latin
allūsiō
English, today
allusion
Built from
Learned borrowing from Latin allūsiō. From Latin allūsiōnem, accusative singular of allūsiō (“the act of playing with”), from allūdō (“play with; allude”), from al-, combining form of ad (“to”), + lūdō (“play”): compare French allusion.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA