Sekirov Dictionary

spook

/spuːk/

noun 7
verb 3
forms 3
phrases 1

noun7

•
A metaphysical manifestation; an artificial distinction or construct.
- He who is infatuated with Man leaves persons out of account so far as that infatuation extends, and floats in an ideal, sacred interest. Man, you see, is not a person, but an ideal, a spook. — 1845
•
(informal) A ghost or phantom.
- The building was haunted by a couple of spooks.
•
(slang) An undercover agent, spy, or intelligence analyst.
- From Ian Fleming to John Le Carre - authors have long been fascinated by the world of espionage. But, asks the BBC’s Gordon Corera, what do real life spooks make of fictional spies? — 2009
•
(informal) A scare or fright.
- The big spider gave me a spook.
•
(slang, offensive) A black person.
- Some won't take spooks—hell, don't make no difference to me. — 1976
•
(US, slang) A psychiatrist.
- Commonly, the surgeons view nonsurgeons with disdain. The most disdain is directed toward the “shrinks” or the “spooks,” as the psychiatrists are called. — 1975
(slang) A player who engages in hole carding by attempting to glimpse the dealer's hole card when the dealer checks under an ace or a 10 to see if a blackjack is present.

verb3

•
To frighten or make nervous (especially by startling).
- The hunters were spooked when the black cat crossed their path. The movement in the bushes spooked the deer and they ran.
•
To become frightened (by something startling).
- The deer spooked at the sound of the dogs.
To haunt.

forms

spooked · spooking · spooks

Phrases with spook

spook out
to scare, to frighten

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