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 only3: a representation of something abstract, ideal, or incorporeal <she was a phantom of delight — William Wordsworth>

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