ghost

fantôme

Esprit d’une personne morte que l’on imagine apparaître aux vivants.

En anglais simple : The spirit of a dead person, imagined as appearing to people who are alive.

• I saw a ghost.
• People say ghosts haunt the old castle.
• Do you believe in ghosts?

Comment l'utiliser : the ghost of someone (She claimed to see the ghost of her grandmother.)

Synonymes : spirit, apparition

Expressions courantes : see a ghost, ghost story, ghost of someone

trace, ombre

Image, forme ou signe de quelque chose que l’on distingue à peine.

En anglais simple : A very faint image, shape, or sign of something.

• A ghost of a smile crossed her face.
• The mirror showed a pale ghost of his reflection.
• Only the ghost of the old sign remained.

Comment l'utiliser : a ghost of something (There was a ghost of sadness in her voice.)

Synonymes : trace, faint image

Expressions courantes : a ghost of something, faint ghost

esprit, âme

Partie spirituelle et immatérielle d’une personne.

En anglais simple : The spirit or soul of a person.

• He believed that his ghost would survive his body.
• The prayer calls on the Holy Ghost.
• The old sailor finally gave up the ghost.

Comment l'utiliser : give up the ghost (The king gave up the ghost before dawn.)

Synonymes : spirit, soul

Expressions courantes : give up the ghost, the Holy Ghost

prête-plume

Personne qui écrit un livre ou un autre texte publié sous le nom de quelqu’un d’autre.

En anglais simple : Someone who writes a book or other text that is published under another person’s name.

• The singer hired a ghost for her memoir.
• His ghost wrote most of the book.
• A skilled ghost can capture another person’s voice.

Synonymes : ghostwriter

Expressions courantes : hire a ghost, ghost for someone

blanc, pâle

Placé devant le nom d’un animal, indique qu’il est blanc ou de couleur très claire.

En anglais simple : Used before an animal’s name to show that it is white or very pale.

• The ghost slug has a pale body.
• A ghost crab crossed the sand.
• The guide showed us a photograph of a ghost bat.

Expressions courantes : ghost slug, ghost crab, ghost bat

vestige, reste

Forme ou morceau qui subsiste après la disparition de la chose d’origine.

En anglais simple : A shape or piece left behind after the original thing has disappeared.

• A ghost apple hung from the branch.
• Ice preserved the ghost of a fruit that had rotted away.
• The hollow ghosts of apples remained after the thaw.

Synonymes : remnant, remains

Expressions courantes : ghost apple, ghost of something