fancy

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
fancy/ˈfansi/

▶verb (fancies, fancying, fancied)

• 1 Brit. informal feel a desire for.

  ■ find sexually attractive.

• 2 Brit. regard as a likely winner.

• 3 imagine.

  ■ chiefly Brit. used to express surprise: fancy that!

▶adjective (fancier, fanciest) elaborate or highly decorated.

■ sophisticated or expensive.

■ chiefly N. Amer. (especially of foodstuffs) of high quality.

■ (of flowers) of two or more colours.

■ (of an animal) bred to develop particular points of appearance.

▶noun (pl. fancies)

• 1 a superficial or transient feeling of attraction.

  ■ a favourite in a race or other sporting contest.

• 2 the faculty of imagination.

  ■ an unfounded or tentative belief or idea.

• 3 (also fancy cake) Brit. a small iced cake or biscuit.

– phrases
take (or catch) someone's fancy appeal to someone.
take a fancy to become fond of, especially without an obvious reason.

– derivatives
fancily adverb,
fanciness noun.

– origin ME: contr. of fantasy.