ghost
The origin and history of ghost.
Etymology
From Old English gast, meaning breath, spirit, or soul — the same root behind "Holy Ghost." The silent "h" crept into the spelling in the late 1400s, likely from printers influenced by Dutch. The "stop replying without explanation" sense only became common in the 2010s.
Class of 1400
ghost first entered the language around 1400. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1400 →