First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1ghost
noun \ˈgōst\
: the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people
: a very small amount or trace
Full Definition of GHOST
1
: the seat of life or intelligence : soul <give up the ghost>
2
: a disembodied soul; especially : the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness
4
a : a faint shadowy trace <a ghost of a smile> b : the least bit <not a ghost of a chance>
5
: a false image in a photographic negative or on a television screen caused especially by reflection
6
: one who ghostwrites
7
: a red blood cell that has lost its hemoglobin
— ghost·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective
— ghosty \ˈgō-stē\ adjective
See ghost defined for English-language learners
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Origin of GHOST
Middle English gost, gast, from Old English gāst; akin to Old High German geist spirit, Sanskrit heḍa anger
Related to GHOST
Other Occult Terms
2ghost
verb
Definition of GHOST
transitive verb
1
: to haunt like a ghost
2
intransitive verb
1
a : to move silently like a ghost b : to sail quietly in light winds
2
See ghost defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of GHOST
1606
GHOSTY Defined for Kids
ghost
noun \ˈgōst\
Definition of GHOST for Kids
: the spirit of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people
Medical Dictionary
ghost
noun \ˈgōst\
Medical Definition of GHOST
: a structure (as a cell or tissue) that does not stain normally because of degenerative changes; specifically : a red blood cell that has lost its hemoglobin
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