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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.

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Origin of poltergeist

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

Words nearby poltergeist

polos, polo shirt, Pol Pot, Polska, Poltava, poltergeist, poltroon, poly, polyacid, polyacrylamide, polyacrylamide gel
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to poltergeist

phantom, apparition, spook, appearance, visitor, spirit, revenant, doppelganger, demon, phantasm, specter, vision, kelpie, banshee, haunter

Example sentences from the Web for poltergeist

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