Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost [ghost, i.e., spirit, a translation of Gr. pneuma=breath, air], in Christian doctrine, the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is sometimes defined as the as...

Spirit level, tool for determining whether a surface is horizontal. It consists essentially of a slightly bent transparent tube that is held in a frame. The tube contains some alcohol, ether, ...

Poltergeist [Ger.,=knocking ghost], in spiritism, certain phenomena, such as rapping, movement of furniture, and breaking of crockery, for which there is no apparent scientific explanation. Be...

Paraclete, in the New Testament, title of the Holy Spirit, often translated as Comforter or Advocate. In First John, Jesus himself is the Paraclete.

Incantation, set formula, spoken or sung, for the purpose of working magic. An incantation is normally an invocation to beneficent supernatural spirits for aid, protection, or inspiration. It ...

Davy Jones, personification or spirit of the sea. The name is best known in the expression Davy Jones's locker, meaning the bottom of the sea, to which drowned sailors go.

Pixie, in English folklore, spirit or fairy. The pixie is commonly represented as a mischievous imp who delights in flustering young maidens and leading travelers astray.

Lares, in Roman religion, guardian spirits. According to some they were ghosts of the dead, destructive spirits who frequented crossroads and had to be propitiated. Others say that the lares w...

Alastor, in Greek mythology, spirit of vengeance. It is an epithet applied to Zeus or any other god in his aspect as avenger and is also sometimes applied to an evildoer who is subject to veng...

Goblin or hobgoblin, in French folklore, small household spirit, similar to the Celtic brownie. Goblins perform household tasks but also can make mischief, such as pulling the covers off sleep...