Specter
/ˈspɛktɚ/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A ghostly apparition, a phantom. US
"A specter haunted the cemetery at the old Vasquez manor."
- 2 a mental representation of some haunting experience wordnet
- 3 A threatening mental image; an unpleasant prospect US, figuratively
"A specter is haunting Europe — the specter of communism. All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this specter: Pope and Tsar, Metternich and Guizot, French Radicals and German police-spies."
- 4 a ghostly appearing figure wordnet
- 5 Any of certain species of dragonfly of the genus Boyeria, family Aeshnidae. US
Example
More examples"A specter is haunting Europe — the specter of communism."
Etymology
From Middle French spectre, from Latin spectrum (“appearance, apparition”). Doublet of spectrum.