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

• spookish adjective
• spookery noun

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 rising delinquency rates aren’t spooking Wall Street much, as seen in the relatively low yields investors are demanding to buy bonds backed by subprime auto loans.

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The correlation will break when an event spooks markets.

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An acute crisis in U.S.-India relations has spooked observers across the region.

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That natural attrition is slowing because more workers, hamstrung by declining job openings and spooked by fears of an economic downturn, are staying put.

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When prices start to rise rapidly, it can spook short sellers who rush to buy, adding fuel to any rally.

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