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ghoul

 - 4 dictionary results

ghoul

  [gool]
Use ghoul in a Sentence
–noun
1. an evil demon, originally of Oriental legend, supposed to feed on human beings, and especially to rob graves, prey on corpses, etc.
2. a grave robber.
3. a person who revels in what is revolting.
Origin:
1780–90; < Ar ghūl
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ghoul   (gōōl)   
n.  

  1. One who delights in the revolting, morbid, or loathsome.

  2. A grave robber.

  3. An evil spirit or demon in Muslim folklore believed to plunder graves and feed on corpses.


[Arabic ġūl, from ġāla, to seize, snatch; see ġwl in Semitic roots.]
ghoul'ish adj., ghoul'ish·ly adv., ghoul'ish·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

ghoul 
1786, in Beckford's "Vathek," from Ar. ghul, an evil spirit that robs graves and feeds on corpses, from ghala "he seized."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

ghoul

in popular legend, demonic being believed to inhabit burial grounds and other deserted places. In ancient Arabic folklore, ghuls belonged to a diabolic class of jinn (spirits) and were said to be the offspring of Iblis, the Muslim prince of darkness. They were capable of constantly changing form, but their presence was always recognizable by their unalterable sign: ass's hooves.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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