Spookhouse
/ˈspʊkˌhaʊs/noun
An amusingly frightening place designed to simulate a haunted house.
Did you know?The word spook entered English as American slang from Dutch spook, meaning “ghost” or “specter,” while its sense of a secret agent developed separately in twentieth-century American usage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*speuką
“A ghost or apparition; the reconstructed ancestor commonly associated with Dutch spook, though the deeper origin is uncertain.”
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
spook
“A ghost, specter, or frightening apparition.”
17th Century
Dutch-American English
spook
“A ghost or supernatural being, borrowed from Dutch-speaking communities in North America.”
Old English
Old English
hūs
“A dwelling, shelter, or enclosed home.”
19th–20th Century
American English
spook house
“A haunted or frightening attraction, formed by combining spook with house.”
Modern English
English
spookhouse
“A haunted-house attraction or deliberately frightening place.”