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 a person

   to spook horses

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.

Derived Forms

• ˈspookish, adjective

Other Words From

• spooker·y noun
• spookish 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

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the pick had “spooked” shareholders, despite questions about how the new administration might pursue its threats.

From BBC

It's been suggested a nurse and an injured sailor are among our spooks.

From BBC

Moreover, as Zehme writes in the first chapter, Carson’s “ghostly wrath” “seems to still spook eternal; ancient pledges of tight-lipped ones persist, especially regarding his very human flaws. ”

From Los Angeles Times

Recent developments in domestic politics in Mexico have spooked some investors.

From Los Angeles Times

The tourists' spinners were no match for the home tweakers, while England's batters struggled for the right tempo on the Rawalpindi pitch, possibly spooked by all the talk of a raging turner.

From BBC