poltergeist

See also: Poltergeist

English

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from German Poltergeist, from poltern (“to rumble”) +‎ Geist (“ghost”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊl.tɚˌɡaɪst/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒl.tə.ɡaɪst/, /ˈpəʊl.təˌɡaɪst/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

poltergeist (plural poltergeists or poltergeister)

1. (parapsychology) An unseen ghost which makes noises and causes disruption, especially by causing physical objects to move or fly about.

   A poltergeist haunts the house by moving objects around, making chain-rattling noises and throwing things.

   The chapel is haunted by a demonic poltergeist.

   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

     "Perhaps even a small poltergeist might come your way. Any trifle would be welcome." His bull's bellow of laughter followed them into the lift.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:ghost

Derived terms

• poltergeistic
• poltergeistism
• poltergeistlike
• poltergeisty

Translations

disruptive ghost

• Arabic: رُوح شَرِيرَة‎ f (rūḥ šarīra)
• Bulgarian: полтъргайст m (poltǎrgajst)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 騷靈現象／骚灵现象 (sāolíng xiànxiàng), 騷靈／骚灵 (sāolíng)

• Czech: poltergeist m
• Dutch: klopgeest (nl) m, poltergeest m
• Esperanto: poltergejsto, brufantomo
• Finnish: räyhähenki (fi), poltergeist (fi)
• French: esprit frappeur (fr) m, poltergeist (fr) m
• Georgian: პოლტერგეისტი (ṗolṭergeisṭi)
• German: Poltergeist (de) m, Klopfgeist m
• Greek: πόλτεργκαϊστ (póltergkaïst)
• Hungarian: kopogó szellem
• Italian: poltergeist (it) m
• Japanese: ポルターガイスト現象 (porutāgaisuto genshō), ポルターガイスト (porutāgaisuto)
• Korean: 폴터가이스트 (polteogaiseuteu)
• Latvian: poltergeists
• Lithuanian: poltergeistas
• Maori: poketai
• Norwegian: poltergeist, bankeånd
• Polish: poltergeist (pl) m
• Portuguese: poltergeist m
• Russian: полтерге́йст (ru) m (poltɛrgéjst)
• Spanish: poltergeist (es) m
• Swedish: poltergeist c
• Ukrainian: полтерге́йст m (polterhéjst)
• Vietnamese: yêu tinh (vi)
• Volapük: nokamalanan

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from German Poltergeist.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɔl.tɛr.ɡajst/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrɡajst
• Syllabification: pol‧ter‧geist

Noun

poltergeist m anim

1. poltergeist

Declension

Declension of poltergeist

	singular	plural
nominative	poltergeist	poltergeisty
genitive	poltergeista	poltergeistów
dative	poltergeistowi	poltergeistom
accusative	poltergeista	poltergeisty
instrumental	poltergeistem	poltergeistami
locative	poltergeiście	poltergeistach
vocative	poltergeiście	poltergeisty

Further reading

• poltergeist in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• poltergeist in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Noun

poltergeist m (plural poltergeists)

1. (parapsychology) poltergeist (a disruptive ghost)