Resembling or relating to a ghost; pale, transparent, or mysterious in a way that seems supernatural or eerie.
From 'ghost' (Old English 'gast,' meaning spirit or breath) plus the suffix '-ly' (making an adjective). The term developed in Middle English around the 1300s to describe something with ghost-like qualities.
The word 'ghost' comes from a root meaning 'breath' or 'life force'—ancient people literally couldn't see breath, so they imagined the soul leaving the body as an invisible wind, which is why ghosts ended up being invisible in our imagination.
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