banshee Hear it!

banshee Definition

ban·shee (bans̸hē)

noun

Celt. Folklore a female spirit believed to wail outside a house as a warning that a death will occur soon in the family

Etymology: Ir bean sidhe < bean, woman (see gyno-) + sith, fairy

banshee Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • howl: The toll of the Cubans scrum was beginning to tell and the howling banshee Cuban back line was starting to run a muck.
  • scream: She then regained her senses and flew at Williams like a screaming banshee.
  • become: Suddenly people who last week could sell a tray of fruit for 30 quid simply by batting their eyelids became, well, banshees.

Modifies a noun

  • vocal: The sound is great with Corin Tucker's wailing banshee vocals and fuzzed up guitars blasting through the speakers.
  • wail: Starting with the samba rhythms the song continues to grow with more instruments, voices and banshee wails.

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