Pouk
/puːk/noun
A Scots word for a goblin, hobgoblin, or frightening supernatural being.
Did you know?Pouk belongs to the same Germanic supernatural word-family as Puck, Shakespeare’s mischievous fairy, although the exact prehistoric root is uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
Old English
pūca
“A goblin, demon, or malicious spirit”
Middle English
Middle English
pouk(e)
“A goblin, hobgoblin, or frightening apparition”
Middle Scots
Scots
pouk
“A supernatural being or goblin”
16th–17th Century
Scots
pouk
“A spirit or bogey associated with fear and haunting”
Modern English dialect
Scots English
pouk
“A goblin or hobgoblin, chiefly in Scots usage”