barguest
|bar-guest|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɑrɡɛst/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɑːɡɛst/
ominous ghostly black dog
Etymology
'barguest' originates from Middle English (Northern dialect), specifically the word 'barghest', where 'ghest' is related to Old English 'gāst' meaning 'spirit' or 'ghost' and 'bar' is likely a regional element whose exact origin is uncertain.
'barguest' changed from the Middle English Northern form 'barghest' which combined a regional first element 'bar-' with 'ghest' (from Old English 'gāst'), and eventually appeared in modern English texts as 'barguest'.
Initially, the component 'gāst' meant 'spirit' or 'ghost', and over time the compound came to refer specifically to a monstrous black dog or omen-bearing apparition rather than a generic spirit.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a legendary monstrous black dog or spectral hound in Northern English folklore, often regarded as an omen of death.
Villagers whispered that the barguest prowled the moors at night, and seeing it meant a death was near.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/16 06:00