ghast
English
editEtymology 1
editVariation 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
editghast (third-person singular simple present ghasts, present participle ghasting, simple past and past participle ghasted)
- Alternative form of gast
Derived terms
editEtymology 2
editPoetic abbreviation of ghastly. Use as a noun influenced by ghost.
Adjective
editghast (comparative more ghast, superlative most ghast)
Translations
editghastly, weird
Noun
editghast (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.