allusion

an indirect reference

Roots

ad- / a-: to, toward, added onto, or intensified
lud / lus: play, mock, or trick

Other words with the lud / lus root

allusive: hinting indirectly at another idea or text
delusion: a fixed false belief or serious mistaken conviction
illusion: a false appearance or mistaken perception
illusory: seeming real but false or unreliable

Allusion plays toward another story or idea without naming it outright.

Her essay's quiet allusion to the myth rewarded readers who recognized it.

Allusion is indirect by nature. The ad- prefix becomes al- before l, and lud gives play. The reference plays toward something: enough to point, not enough to explain.