banshee

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈbænʃiː/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈbænʃi/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ban′shē, ban shē′)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ban•shee /ˈbænʃi/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. [countable], pl. -shees. (in Irish folklore) a spirit in the form of a wailing woman who appears to or is heard by members of a family as a sign that one of them is about to die.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ban•shee  (ban′shē, ban shē′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. (in Irish folklore) a spirit in the form of a wailing woman who appears to or is heard by members of a family as a sign that one of them is about to die.
Also, ban′shie. 
  • Irish bean sīdhe woman of a fairy mound; see sídh
  • 1765–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
banshee / ˈbænʃiː bænˈʃiː/
  1. (in Irish folklore) a female spirit whose wailing warns of impending death
Etymology: 18th Century: from Irish Gaelic bean sídhe, literally: woman of the fairy mound
'banshee' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
sídh

Forum discussions with the word(s) "banshee" in the title:


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