Plural of ghost; believed to be spirits of dead people that haunt the living.
From Old English 'gast' and Dutch 'geest,' possibly from the same root as 'gas' (breath). The word originally meant 'soul' or 'spirit' before becoming associated specifically with supernatural apparitions.
The word 'ghost' probably comes from the same root as 'gas'—both words are about invisible things you can't quite see or hold, which makes sense because ancient people didn't understand air or spirits either.
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