| Item |
Match |
Pronunciation |
Comments |
| black |
the darkest colour and the colour of the night. |
/blæk/ |
|
| skull |
the bony part of the head, attached to a person's skeleton |
/skʌl/ |
|
| scythe |
a long, sharp and curved blade |
/saɪð/ |
|
| boo! |
a word which is sometimes used to frighten people when playing tricks |
/bu:/ |
|
| Wicca |
a modern pagan witchcraft religion |
/wɪkə/ |
Wicca is a pagan religion born in 20th century England though they claim to feed on old traditions in an effort to gain some credibility. It is a religion centred upon the idea of gender polarity and the worship of two deities: Moon Goddess and Horned God.
|
| Grim Reaper |
the name traditionally used to symbolise Death |
/grɪm ri:pə*/ |
In European folklore, Death is usually depicted as a skeleton in a long black cloak, carrying a scythe.
|
| spell |
a magic rite cast by witches |
/spel/ |
|
| shadow |
a dark shape cast by an object positioned between a surface and a source of light |
/ʃædəʊ/ |
|
| bones |
hard pieces of a person's or animal's skeleton |
/bəʊnz/ |
|
| wraith |
a Scottish word that means ghost |
/reɪθ/ |
|
| casket |
coffin |
/kɑ:skɪt/ |
|
| bloodcurdling |
a chilling, scary sound often used to describe screems. Terrifying. |
/blʌd kɜ:*dlɪŋ/ |
|
| black cat |
They are said to bring good luck in parts of the UK and Ireland. |
/blæk kæt/ |
According to folklore, black cats are said to have supernatural powers and witches often keep them as pets.
In most places, though, black cats are supposed to be unlucky (because they are associated to witches)
|
| pumpkin |
an orange vegetable which is often carved and hollowed out to make Halloween lanterns |
/pʌmkɪn/ |
|
| treat |
a fun and unexpected surprise designed to please someone |
/tri:t/ |
|
| goblin |
a small, ugly, mischevious creature with a reputation for causing trouble |
/gɒblɪn/ |
|
| nightmare |
a scary bad dream |
/naɪtmeə*/ |
|
| banshee |
an unhappy, wailing ghost which features in Irish and Scottish folklore. |
/bænʃi:/ |
Banshees are said to appear when somebody is about to die.
|
| bag |
a container for candy/sweets used by kids who dress up in customes to carry the sweets they collect |
/bæg/ |
|
| trick or treat |
What children say when they come to your door asking for sweets/candies |
/trɪk ə tri:t/ |
Children dress up in costumes and visit people's houses in search of sweets (British English) or candies (American English). They knock on the door and say "trick or treat", and they are given sweets. The idea is that if you don't TREAT them, they will TRICK you instead (to trick: to do something bad to you).
|
| werewolf |
a person who turns into a wolf whenever there is a full moon |
/weəwʊlf/ |
According to folklore, if a person is bitten by a werewolf, then they become a werewolf too.
|
| mausoleum |
an ornate, stone cemetery building, built to house the coffins of rich or famouse people |
/mɔ:səlɪəm/ |
Also for members of the same family.
|
| to frighten |
to scare |
/tə fraɪtən/ |
|
| haunted |
a place frequented by ghosts or other spirits of the death |
/hɔ:ntɪd/ |
|
| creepy |
unsettling or scary |
/kri:pɪ/ |
|
| fiend |
a monster or demon |
/fi:nd/ |
also an old word for ENEMY
|
| sweets |
sugary treats given to children at Halloween |
/swi:ts/ |
in American English the word used is CANDIES
|
| witchcraft |
magic practised by witches |
/wɪtʃkrɑ:ft/ |
|
| bat |
a small flying mammal, with leathery wings |
/bæt/ |
According to legend, vampires are said to be able to turn into bats.
|
| All Hallows Eve |
Another name for Halloween |
/ɔ:l hæləʊz i:v/ |
|
| cemetery |
a place where dead people are buried |
/semətrɪ/ |
also: GRAVEYARD
|
| lantern |
a type of lamp |
/læntə*n/ |
|
| scary |
something which is frightening |
/skeərɪ/ |
|
| warlock |
a male witch |
/wɔ:*lɒk/ |
|
| festival |
a celebration or special event |
/festɪvəl/ |
|
| skeleton |
the hard inner frame of a person's or an animal's body, formed from bones that join together |
/skelətən/ |
|
| coffin |
a container for a dead body; generally made of wood and lined with silk with a hinged lid |
/kɒfɪn/ |
|
| spirits |
the ghosts of dead people |
/spɪrɪts/ |
|
| ghoul |
a fictional flesh eating monster that is said to rob graves, according to folklore |
/gu:l/ |
|
| cauldron |
a cooking pot used by witches to brew spells |
/kɔ:ldrən/ |
|
| evil |
malicious, bad, ill intentioned |
/i:vəl/ |
|
| frightening |
scary |
/fraɪtnɪŋ/ |
|
| wand |
a stick used for casting magic spells |
/wɒnd/ |
|
| bogeyman |
a fictional scary person used to frighten children who misbehave |
/bʊgɪmæn/ |
This monster has no specific appearance in the mind of an adult or child, but is simply a non-specific embodiment of terror.
|
| cloak |
an outer garment or cape |
/kləʊk/ |
vampires wear a long black clock on their backs, often with a red lining
|
| spooky |
midly scary though often in a fun way |
/spu:kɪ/ |
|
| spider |
an insect with eight legs that spins webs |
/spaɪdə*/ |
|
| moon |
large, round satellite that revolves around The Earth which can be seen in the sky at night |
/mu:n/ |
|
| fangs |
sharp, pointy upper front teeth, designed for piercing flesh |
/fæŋgz/ |
for example, vampires have two fangs to bite people on their necks and suck blood
|
| grave |
a burial space for a coffin in a cemetery |
/greɪv/ |
Also: TOMB
|
| web |
spiders spin these to catch flies |
/web/ |
|
| wicked |
bad or evil |
/wɪkɪd/ |
|
| prank |
a trick or practical joke |
/præŋk/ |
|
| gory |
bloody, macabre |
/gɔ:rɪ/ |
|
| corpse |
a dead body |
/kɔ:ps/ |
|
| ghost |
undead spirit that haunts houses |
/gəʊst/ |
|
| grisly |
horrid, gruesome, bloody |
/grɪzlɪ/ |
|
| vampire |
an undead creature who sleeps in a coffin by day and ventures out at night to drink people's blood |
/væmpaɪə*/ |
|
| phantom |
a ghostly apparition |
/fæntəm/ |
|
| apparition |
A transparent, ghostly figure |
/æpərɪʃən/ |
|
| shock |
fright |
/fraɪt/ |
|
| ghostly |
having an appearance or nature similar to a ghost |
/gəʊstlɪ/ |
|
| zombie |
a living dead (and a man-eating creature) |
/zɒmbɪ/ |
|
| monster |
a fearful, horrid imaginary creature |
/mɒnstə*/ |
|
| howl |
a high pitched noise made by wolves and dogs |
/haʊl/ |
|
| Jack O'Lantern |
a lantern carved from a pumpkin with a candle inside |
/dʒæk əlæntə*n/ |
|
| blood |
red liquid running through veins of people and warm blooded creatures |
/blʌd/ |
|
| tombstone |
a large, upright stone placed at the head of a grave |
/tu:mstəʊn/ |
They often have information about the person who is buried in the grave carved into them, such as their date of birth, when they died or another information about their life.
|
| devil |
an evil spirit |
/devɪl/ |
|
| mummy |
a dead person who was buried wrapped in bandages |
/mʌmɪ/ |
based on the Egyptian mummies wrapped in bandages inside a sarcophagus.
|
| candle |
a wax cylinder with a wick in the middle that can be lit with a match to provide light |
/kændəl/ |
|
| witch |
a woman believed to have evil magical powers |
/wɪtʃ/ |
|
| costume |
a make-believe outfit worn for fun at Halloween |
/kɒstju:m/ |
also DISGUISE or FANCY DRESS
|
| gruesome |
repellent, horrible, bloody, macabre |
/gru:səm/ |
|
| trick |
a practical joke |
/trɪk/ |
|
| magic |
the ability or power to make things happen by casting spells; performing tricks |
/mædʒɪk/ |
|
| candy |
sweet treats given to children at Halloween |
/kændɪ/ |
used in American English. In British English the word is SWEET
|
| horror |
shock or fright |
/hɒrə*/ |
Horror films are very popular and are often shown on television at Halloween
|
| demon |
a devil |
/di:mən/ |
|
| tomb |
a place where a dead person has been buried |
/tu:m/ |
|
| disguise |
a costume, often worn for fun at Halloween parties by adults and children alike |
/dɪsgaɪs/ |
also: FANCY DRESS
|
| graveyard |
a place where dead people are buried |
/greɪv jɑ:*d/ |
Also called CEMETERY
|
| cape |
a long and voluminous outer garment, or cloak. Often worn by vampires. |
/keɪp/ |
|
| to scare |
to frighten a person or animal |
/tə skeə*/ |
|
| broom |
a type of brush with a long wooden handle used by witches to fly, according to legend |
/brʊm/ |
Also broomstick
|
