What does spectre mean?
Word: Spectre
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Spectre means a ghost. It can also mean the worrying thought of something unpleasant that might happen, as in the spectre of a water shortage.
Synonyms: ghost, phantom
Word origin: Comes from French spectre, from Latin spectrum 'an image or appearance', from specere 'to look'.
How do you spell spectre?
Syllables: spec - tre
Tricky part: British English ends the word in tre, as in centre, theatre and metre. Specter, with er, is the American spelling, so use spectre in your exam.
Watch out for: spectar, spectere
Memory tip: Write spectre the way you write centre: the r comes before the final e in both.
Spectre in a sentence
Example 1: The ghost in our school play was a friendly spectre in a white bedsheet.
Example 2: With the river so low, the spectre of a water shortage worried the whole town.
Example 3: Extra practice kept the spectre of another defeat far from the team's minds.
Fun Fact
The band of rainbow colours a prism makes is called a spectrum, from the same Latin word that gave English spectre; both first meant something that appears before the eyes.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) sombre
b) sceptre
c) lustre
d) spektre
Show answer
d) spektre. The 'k' sound in spectre is a c, as in spectacles and inspect.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
This comes from French and it means 'a ghost, or a worrying thought about something that might happen'.
a) chauffeur
b) spectre
c) depot
d) sabotage
Show answer
b) spectre. Spectre came to English through French, from Latin spectrum, an appearance.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. spectre 2. spectacle 3. spectator a. a ghost b. a person who watches an event c. an impressive show or sight
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. All three come from the Latin for looking: a spectre is seen, a spectacle is watched and a spectator does the watching.
Sound Check
In which word is 'spec' pronounced differently?
a) suspect
b) inspect
c) species
d) spectre
Show answer
c) species. Species says 'spee'; the others say 'spek'.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In 'the spectre of rising prices', spectre means ___.
a) a lucky chance
b) a clear answer
c) a worrying threat
d) a cheerful hope
Show answer
c) a worrying threat
2. A spectre in a story is usually ___.
a) tiny and furry
b) hard and metallic
c) loud and cheerful
d) pale and ghostly
Show answer
d) pale and ghostly
