ghast
English edit
Etymology 1 edit
Variation of gast, from Middle English gasten, from Old English gāstan (“to meditate”) and gǣstan (“to gast, frighten, afflict, torment”). More at gast. Spelling influenced by ghost.
Verb edit
ghast (third-person singular simple present ghasts, present participle ghasting, simple past and past participle ghasted)
- Alternative form of gast
Derived terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
Poetic abbreviation of ghastly. Use as a noun influenced by ghost.
Adjective edit
ghast (comparative more ghast, superlative most ghast)
Translations edit
ghastly, weird
Noun edit
ghast (plural ghasts)
- (fantasy) An evil spirit or monster; a ghoul.
- 2000, Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass:
- The cliff-ghast wrenched off the fox's head, and fought his brothers for the entrails.
- 2007, Ian Irvine, Runcible Jones & the Buried City:
- The most powerful of all undead creatures, ghasts feed on ghosts, dead souls and, most especially, live ones. They want to take over Iltior and set up a ghast empire.