specter
[spek-ter]
- a visible incorporeal spirit, especially one of a terrifying nature; ghost; phantom; apparition.
- some object or source of terror or dread: the specter of disease or famine.
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Also especially British, spec·tre.
Origin of specter
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
shadowdemonphantompresenceapparitionappearancespookdoppelgangerpoltergeistphantasmspiritvisionExamples from the Web for specter
Contemporary Examples
Despite his efforts to live in the present, he seemed haunted by the specter of his father.
The specter of wrongful convictions haunts the public officials involved.
The specter of this virus fills some of our most stalwart souls with unreasoning dread even when it is no immediate threat.
If 80,000 is the population of Danbury, 60 million is the population of California and Texas combined: no small specter, that.
Kailash Satyarthi, Malala's Nobel Peace Prize Co-Winner, Is Fighting India's Child Slavery EpidemicDilip D’Souza
October 11, 2014
Most embarrassing of all is the specter of people asking in the name of religion for permission to discriminate.
Historical Examples
See, 'tis myself here standing alive, no specter that speaks!
Graded Poetry: Second YearVarious
I—I may tell you that this specter has been shot at before without the slightest effect.
The Ghost BreakerPaul Dickey
They compliment themselves and push the specter of age aside.
The Eugenic Marriage, Vol 2 (of 4)W. Grant Hague
But something happened which drove the specter of fear away.
Colorado JimGeorge Goodchild
It was his lost daughter, and her companion—the Specter Bridegroom!
Humorous Ghost StoriesDorothy Scarborough
Word Origin and History for specter
n.
c.1600, from French spectre "an image, figure, ghost" (16c.), from Latin spectrum "appearance, vision, apparition" (see spectrum).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper