spook

American  

[spook] / spuk /

noun

1. Informal. a ghost; specter.

2. Slang. a ghostwriter.

3. Slang. an eccentric person.

4. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.

5. Slang. an espionage agent; spy.

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verb (used with object)

1. to haunt; inhabit or appear in or to as a ghost or specter.

2. Informal. to frighten; scare.

verb (used without object)

1. Informal. to become frightened or scared.

   The fish spooked at any disturbance in the pool.

spook British  

/ spuːk /

noun

1. a ghost or a person suggestive of this

2. a spy

3. slang any pale or colourless alcoholic spirit

   spook and diesel

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verb

1. to frighten

   to spook horses

   to spook a person

2. (of a ghost) to haunt

Sensitive Note

When referring to a black person, the term spook dates back to the 1940s. It is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as highly insulting. Black pilots who trained at Tuskegee Institute during World War II were called the Spookwaffe. Some sources say that black pilots reclaimed this derogatory nickname as a self-referential term of pride.

Other Word Forms

• spookery noun
• spookish adjective

Etymology

Origin of spook

An Americanism first recorded in 1795–1805; from Dutch; cognate with German Spuk

Example Sentences

Its delay had spooked some maritime executives who were worried the issue was losing momentum.

From The Wall Street Journal

That reassured shareholders who might have been spooked by Cisco’s earnings earlier this week, when it said its own margins would be compressed due to the soaring cost of memory components.

From Barron's

As interest rates and the price of gold tend to move in opposite directions, investors got spooked about Warsh’s potentially hawkish approach to monetary policy.

From Barron's

As interest rates and the price of gold tend to move in opposite directions, investors got spooked about Warsh’s potentially hawkish approach to monetary policy.

From Barron's

Now spooked by the prospect of a repeat in AI, Anthropic has entered the fray.

From Barron's