phantom
nounadjectivecommon in dialogue
- //ˈfæntəm//
A ghost or apparition.
noun
- 1
A ghost or apparition.
- 2
Something apparently seen, heard, or sensed, but having no physical reality; an image that appears only in the mind; an illusion or delusion.
- 3
A placeholder for a pair of players when there are an odd number of pairs playing.
- 4
A test object that reproduces the characteristics of human tissue.
- 5
Variant of phantom powerShort for phantom power
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English fantome, fanteme, from Old French fantosme, fantasme, from Latin phantasma (“an apparition, specter; (in Late Latin also) appearance, image”), from Ancient Greek φάντασμα (phántasma, “phantasm, an appearance, image, apparition, specter”), from φαντάζω (phantázō, “to make visible”). Doublet of phantasm.
adjective
- 1
Illusive.
[…] (it was the town's humour to be always gassing of phantom investors who were likely to come any moment and pay a thousand prices for everything) — “[…] Them rich fellers, they don't make no bad breaks with their money. […]”
- 2
Fictitious or nonexistent.
a phantom limb
Forms
- plural
- phantoms