n (1)鬼，幽灵(form of dead person，esp one that(some people believe)appears to living people)[C]：believe in～s 相信有鬼;see a/sb's～看见了一个/某人的鬼魂;The castle is said to be haunted by the～s of its former owners.据说这座城堡有原城堡的主人们的幽灵出没。～story 鬼怪故事;～town 被遗弃的城镇;

(2)一点(丝)(very small indication or suggestion of sth)[sing][N (of)](fig)：not get the～of a chance of winning/getting the job没有一丝机会赢得/得到这份工作;have not a～of a chance/a smile没有丝毫机会/一丝微笑;There was a～of her perfume left in the room.房间里留有一丝她的香水气味。〖同〗trace;

give up the ghost 1)死(infml)：After a long illness，the old woman gave up the～. 久病之后，老妇人死了。2)停止(joc)：The motor turned over a few times and gave up the～.电机转动了几下之后，停了下来。

v 为人代笔(捉刀)(write a book，article，etc for another person who can then claim he or she is the author)[I+prep (for)，T+n]：～for a millionaire/a number of sports personalities 为一位百万富翁/许多体育界人士代笔;～the general's memories 为将军写回忆录;

→′ghostly adj 鬼的;容貌或声音似鬼的;′ghastliness n 幽灵;′ghost-write v 为……代笔;′ghost-writer n 代笔(捉刀)人;

【辨异】ghost 和spirit 均可指一个人的游魂。ghost 指一个死去的人出现在所认识的人的面前的灵魂，如：the ghost of a drowned child(一个溺水儿童的鬼魂);spirit(神灵;幽灵)经常可以与ghost 互换使用，但是spirit可以指超自然生命，通常暗示对人有好意或有恶意的含义，如：the spirit of a friend(朋友的神灵);an evil spirit(邪恶的幽灵)。