barguests
|bar-guest|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɑrɡɛst/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɑːɡɛst/
(barguest)
ominous ghostly black dog
Etymology
'barguest' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'barghest', where the Old English elements 'beorg' meant 'hill, burial mound' and 'gæst' meant 'spirit, ghost'.
'barguest' changed from the Middle English word 'barghest' (itself formed from Old English elements 'beorg' + 'gæst') and eventually became the modern English form 'barguest' used in regional folklore accounts.
Initially it referred to a 'barrow-spirit' or 'hill-ghost'; over time the sense shifted toward the image of a monstrous or spectral dog that haunts roads and moors.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'barguest': a monstrous or spectral black dog in Northern English folklore, often regarded as an omen of death or a ghostly guardian of certain places.
Barguests were said to appear on lonely moors, frightening any traveler who crossed their path.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/16 06:14