spectre

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: spec=tre

CIDE DICTIONARY

spectre, n. [F. spectre, fr. L. spectrum an appearance, image, specter, fr. specere to look. See Spy, and cf. Spectrum.].

•  Something preternaturally visible; an apparition; a ghost; a phantom.  [1913 Webster]

  "The ghosts of traitors from the bridge descend,
  With bold fanatic specters to rejoice."  [1913 Webster]
•  The tarsius.  [1913 Webster]

Specter bat (Zoöl.), any phyllostome bat. -- Specter candle (Zoöl.), a belemnite. -- Specter shrimp (Zoöl.), a skeleton shrimp. See under Skeleton.

spectre, n. 

 See Specter.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

spectre, n. (US specter)
1 a ghost.
2 a haunting presentiment or preoccupation (the spectre of war).
3 (in comb.) used in the names of some animals because of their thinness, transparency, etc. (spectre-bat; spectre-crab).

Idiom

Spectre of the Brocken a huge shadowy image of the observer projected on mists about a mountain-top (observed on the Brocken in Germany).

Etymology

F spectre or L spectrum: see SPECTRUM