Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SPECTER & SPECTRAL
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pronounce
SPECTER:
Say it "SPECK tur."
To hear it, click here.
pronounce
SPECTRAL:
Say it "SPECK trull."
To hear it, click here.
connect these words to others:
As we're checking out the spooky, ghostly words specter and spectral, see if you can recall a close synonym of specter:
An ap____tion is the appearance of something that seems supernatural, most often a ghost, or something that reminds you of a ghost.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definitions:
In Latin, spectrum means "a vision, or an appearance." It entered French as spectre, meaning "an image, or a ghost," and from there we took it into English, with the same meaning. You'll still see it spelled that way in British English. In the US, we tend to stick with "specter."
So, a specter is a ghost, or something that reminds you of a ghost in a scary way, often because it's a shadowy, uncertain possibility of something.
And something spectral is ghostly in a spooky, shadowy, unreal way.
grammatical bits:
Parts of speech:
"Specter" is a noun, the countable kind: "the specter of a panic attack;" "He tried to banish those specters from his mind."
And "spectral" is an adjective: "a spectral figure in the distance;" "Through the fog, the sun cast a spectral haze on the field."
Other forms:
The adverb is "spectrally," as in "a spectrally pale face" or "The figures seemed to dance spectrally in the twilight."
If you need a noun for the quality of looking spectral or seeming like a specter, you can use "specterness" or, my preference, "spectrality."
how to use them:
These words are formal and common, with a literary flavor.
When you're describing a hazy, unclear prospect or possibility that unsettles you or makes you nervous, call it a specter, usually "the specter of something:" the specter of death, the specter of war, the specter of disease, "the specter of winter looming ahead (George R. R. Martin)," "the specter of yet another long school year (Khaled Hosseini)."
You might also call something a specter if it's a reminder of something unpleasant from the past. In particular, you can refer to some unpleasant thing (or person) as the "specter at the feast," or the "specter at the banquet," meaning it reminds you of something really unpleasant when you're otherwise happy or having a good time. These idioms refer to a scene from Shakespeare's Macbeth. Everyone's trying to enjoy themselves at a dinner party, but Macbeth loses his mind when he sees the ghost of Banquo, who he'd just had murdered. Don't you hate it when that happens?
So that's how we use "specter." Let's also look at "spectral." Pick that one when you want a formal synonym of "spooky" and "ghostly." You might talk about spectral forms, figures, shapes, voices, and body parts; spectral light or a spectral fog; spectral sounds or music, etc.
examples:
"Mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families... A grim specter has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know."
— Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
"He was pointing at the trees, and as the witches looked down, they saw a stream of those spectral forms pouring across the grass, seeming to flow with no effort toward the people, their prey."
— Phillip Pullman, The Subtle Knife, 1997
has this page helped you understand "specter" and "spectral"?
study them:
Explain the meaning of "specter" and "spectral" without saying "ghost" or "ghostlike."
try one out:
Fill in the blanks: "It's hard to enjoy _____ with the specter of _____ looming."
Example: "It's hard to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon with the specter of Monday morning looming."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for this month is Rhyming Puzzles!
I'll give you a description of something, and you name it in a rhyming phrase.
Longtime readers will recognize this game from years past, when we grappled with silly answers like "shopworn popcorn," "hidebound guide hound," "cow chow kowtow," "unflagging pun bragging," and "catch-as-catch-can Etch A Sketch fan."
The answers will get longer as the month goes on. To see the clue, click the link. To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this last one today:
Delivering the sermon every Sunday at Christ Church Episcopal is a man who loves long words, choosing 10-syllable monstrosities when 2- or 3-syllable words would do. The words he loves seem, to his listeners at least, to be about a foot a half long each. He's a _____________ __________.
Two words, six syllables each.
Clue: use this word.
review this word:
A. REAL, CLEAR, SOLID, and PHYSICAL.
B. DIM, HAZY, MURKY, and MONOCHROMATIC.
C. KIND, AWARE, HELPFUL, and CONSCIENTIOUS.
2.
Jon Krakauer describes a neighborhood as "_____," with "_____" and peeling paint, enveloped in a "spectral quiet."
A. desolate .. tumbleweeds
B. mature .. sidewalk chess games
C. sleepy .. bright welcoming windows
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
As we're checking out the spooky, ghostly words specter and spectral, see if you can recall a close synonym of specter:
In Latin, spectrum means "a vision, or an appearance." It entered French as spectre, meaning "an image, or a ghost," and from there we took it into English, with the same meaning. You'll still see it spelled that way in British English. In the US, we tend to stick with "specter."
Parts of speech:
These words are formal and common, with a literary flavor.
"Mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families... A grim specter has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know."
Explain the meaning of "specter" and "spectral" without saying "ghost" or "ghostlike."
Fill in the blanks: "It's hard to enjoy _____ with the specter of _____ looming."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |