spook

[spook]

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.

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

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of spook¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of spook¹

C19: Dutch spook, from Middle Low German spōk ghost

Example Sentences

The raids had spooked remaining employees — and many had stopped showing up to work.

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“They’re not used to being in homes or garages. The bear was probably confused, spooked. Who knows what it was. But this wasn’t normal.”

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It is a sign that investors may not be as spooked as they appear.

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Blame for the slowdown has gone to the federal government shutdown and related flight cancellations, which likely spooked many potential air travelers.

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Some of the move could come from investors spooked by worries of an artificial-intelligence bubble, looking for assets they see as steady performers even in economic downturns.

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