Main Entry: ¹phan·tom

Pronunciation: \ˈfan-təm\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English fantosme, fantome, from Anglo-French fantosme phantasm

Date: 14th century

1 a : something apparent to sense but with no substantial existence : apparition b : something elusive or visionary c : an object of continual dread or abhorrence <the phantom of disease and want>
2 : something existing in appearance only
3 : a representation of something abstract, ideal, or incorporeal <she was a phantom of delight — William Wordsworth>

— phan·tom·like \-ˌlīk\ adverb or adjective