poltergeist

[ pohl-ter-gahyst ]

/ ˈpoʊl tərˌgaɪst /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR poltergeist ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a ghost or spirit supposed to manifest its presence by noises, knockings, etc.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby poltergeist

polonnaruwa, polony, polos, polska, poltava, poltergeist, poltoratsk, poltroon, poly, poly bag, poly i:c

Origin of poltergeist

1840–50; < German Poltergeist, equivalent to polter(n) to make noise, knock, rattle + Geist ghost

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for poltergeist

H.R. Giger, best known for his work on movies like Alien and Poltergeist 2, died at the age of 74.
Hollywood’s Sci-Fi Artist H.R. Giger Dead at 74|Justin Jones|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The plot hews close to Poltergeist, the Tobe Hooper-directed, Steven Spielberg-produced haunted house classic from 1982.
Insidious' Unsettling Horror|Keith Phipps|April 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
A poltergeist that up to the present had confined its attentions to me, no one else in the house having either heard or seen it.
Byways of Ghost-Land|Elliott O'Donnell
Poltergeist had spared my novel, lying next to Young: evidently he thought that already watery enough.
The Bonadventure|Edmund Blunden

Rackets in general are caused by lares domestici (“brownies”) or the Poltergeist.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 1|Various
Perhaps, if he took no notice, the poltergeist would be discouraged and subside.
When Ghost Meets Ghost|William Frend De Morgan
There is vastly more than the poltergeist in her, that is evident; for she has conquered every critic with her miracles.
The Shadow World|Hamlin Garland

British Dictionary definitions for poltergeist

poltergeist

/ (ˈpɒltəˌɡaɪst) /

noun

a spirit believed to manifest its presence by rappings and other noises and also by acts of mischief, such as throwing furniture about

Word Origin for poltergeist

C19: from German, from poltern to be noisy + Geist ghost

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

poltergeist

noun

QUIZZES

Words related to poltergeist

Words nearby poltergeist

Origin of poltergeist

Example sentences from the Web for poltergeist

British Dictionary definitions for poltergeist

noun

Word Origin for poltergeist