► ghost the spirit of a dead person that some people think they can see:
They say the captain's ghost still haunts the ship.We sat around the campfire, telling ghost stories.► spirit the part of a dead person that continues to live after they die:
They believe the spirits of their ancestors help to protect them.➔ You can also use spirit about a creature without a physical body that has strange or magical powers: My grandma wears a charm to protect herself against evil spirits. ► phantom a frightening ghost:
The phantom appeared suddenly at the top of the staircase, dressed in a red robe.► specter specter means the same as ghost but is used mostly in literature and poems:
Some visitors to the theater say they have seen the specter of a murdered man.