Word of the Day

: February 19, 2008

poltergeist

noun POL-ter-ghyste

What It Means

: a noisy usually mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises (as rappings)

poltergeist in Context

They had trouble selling the house because it was rumored to have been inhabited by a poltergeist.

Did You Know?

One of the tricks a poltergeist is known for is making "knocking" noises, so it will come as no surprise to learn that the word "poltergeist" translates literally from German as "knocking spirit." The German verb "poltern" means "to knock," and "Geist" is the German word for "spirit." Another "Geist" descendant in English is "zeitgeist" ("the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era"). The English word "ghost" is also related; it descends from the same ancient root that led to "Geist." Although "ghost" has been used in English since before the 12th century, "poltergeist" is a relative newcomer, first appearing as an English word in the middle of the 19th century.