Bogle
/ˈboʊɡəl/noun
A ghost, goblin, or frightening apparition.
Did you know?Bogle is a real Scottish word for a goblin or specter, and it belongs to the same eerie family as English words like bugbear and bogey, where fear itself became a creature.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bugge
“A frightening object or specter; a bogey-like bugaboo”
Middle English
ME
bugge
“A frightening thing used to scare children”
16th-17th Century
Scots
bogle
“A ghost, goblin, or terrifying apparition”
18th-19th Century
English
bogle
“A bogey or specter, especially in Scottish and northern dialect”
Modern English
English
bogle
“A ghost, goblin, or frightening apparition”