noun
ghost
GOHST/ɡəʊst/
The apparent presence of a dead person's spirit.
A ghost appears as a faint figure in the dim doorway.
Etymology
Old English gāst covered souls and spirits broadly, including angels and demons. The selected meaning narrows that range to a dead person’s disembodied spirit, imagined as wandering among or haunting the living.
In context
a ghost that bares an uncanny resemblance to... BRIAN BLESSED! That is, the dead king, apparently.
More examples
- She believes her grandfather's ghost watches over the family.
- Local stories tell of ghosts haunting the abandoned hotel.
- In the play, the king's ghost returns to demand justice.
Forms
ghost · ghosts
ghostly adjective — Looking or seeming like a ghost.
Similar words
- spirit
- Broader term for a nonphysical being, not necessarily visibly present.
- apparition
- Emphasizes a supernatural appearance, not necessarily a dead person's spirit.