ghost words

A form of ghost word — A fictitious or erroneous word, originally meaningless (not used in practice), that has been published in a dictionary or similarly authoritative reference work or otherwise listed as genuine, generally as the result of misinterpretation, misreading, or typographical error.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of ghost word
Cite this entry
APA

ghost words. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ghost%20words

MLA

“ghost words.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ghost%20words. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ghost words,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ghost%20words.

Source: ghost words on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.