1801, "spectre, apparition, ghost," from Dutch spook, from Middle Dutch spooc "spook, ghost," from a common Germanic source (German Spuk "ghost, apparition," Middle Low German spok "spook," Swedish spok "scarecrow," Norwegian spjok "ghost, specter," Danish spøg "joke"), of unknown origin. According to Klein's sources, possible outside connections include Lettish spigana "dragon, witch," spiganis "will o' the wisp," Lithuanian spingu, spingeti "to shine," Old Prussian spanksti "spark."
Meaning "undercover agent" is attested from 1942. The derogatory racial sense of "black person" is attested from 1940s, perhaps from notion of dark skin being difficult to see at night. Black pilots trained at Tuskegee Institute during World War II called themselves the Spookwaffe.
spook (v.)
1867, "to walk or act like a ghost," from spook (n.). Meaning "to unnerve" is from 1935. Related: Spooked; spooking.
双语例句
1. At night, he would creep out of the house like a spook.
夜间, 他常常像幽灵一般地从家里偷偷地出来.
来自辞典例句
2. I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe.
我不是缠磨着埃德加·爱伦·坡的那种幽灵.
来自辞典例句
3. Refrigerators . I killed that poor spook over hot refrigerators?
冰箱为了他妈的冰箱逼我杀了那鬼?
来自电影对白
4. Don't let the repoter spook you, and you have to behave urbanely.
别让记者缠住你, 而你还得举止文雅.
来自互联网
5. Something furry grazed Spook's calf as It'shot between his legs.
