Banshee
/bænˈʃiː/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A female spirit, usually taking the form of a woman whose mournful wailing warns of an impending death. Ireland, Scotland
"Late had he heard, in prophet's dream, / The fatal Ben-Shie's boding scream […]."
- 2 (Irish folklore) a female spirit who wails to warn of impending death wordnet
- 3 A noisy or ill-tempered woman. derogatory
"Where's this old banshee that runs the place?"
Example
More examples"The banshee let out a blood-curdling scream."
Etymology
Borrowed from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”). The term banshee entered English in 1771.