- a ghost; apparition
- any object of fear or dread
Origin of specter
French spectre from Classical Latin spectrum, an appearance, apparition from spectare, to behold: see spectaclespec′tre
noun
- A spirit that haunts an old haunted house is an example of a specter.
- A constant fear of terrorism that hangs over everyone's heads is an example of a specter.
Specter refers a ghost, or something that is widely feared or is a source of terror or dread.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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specter
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"Specter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Specter.
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Specter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Specter
specter
noun
- A ghostly apparition; a phantom.
- A haunting or disturbing image or prospect: the terrible specter of nuclear war.
Origin of specter
French spectre from Latin spectrum appearance, apparition ; see spectrum .THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"Specter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Specter.
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Specter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Specter
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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"Specter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Specter.
APA Style
Specter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Specter
Sentence Examples
- Add to that the issues of shipping costs, the time you will wait, and the specter of what might happen if your purchase doesn't meet your satisfaction, and you can see the advantages of buying from a known domestic supplier.
- Additionally, with the ever-growing specter of identity theft and phishing scams, the ability to use proxy sites to visit MySpace can only help users retain a sense of security and comfort in their wish to enjoy social networking.
- Andre's specter appeared to her right, keeping pace silently with her.
- She didn't seem surprised to find others in the living room and took a seat next to Effie, looking less a nighttime specter than an exhausted victim.
- He peeked out and was startled by a white-clad specter on the stairs.
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