Dybbuks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A malicious spirit in Jewish folklore believed to possess a living person and control their actions
2. A disembodied soul in Jewish tradition that can inhabit and influence the behavior of the living
3. A ghostly entity in lore that is thought to take over someone's body, causing distress and chaos

Etymology: "Dybbuks" is the plural of "dybbuk," a noun that entered English from Yiddish, where the word appears as "dibek." The Yiddish form traces back to the Hebrew verb "dovek," meaning "cling" or "adhere," which is the core of the whole story: the figure is a spirit that clings to a living person and will not let go. The Hebrew root carries that sense of attachment into the Yiddish word, so a dybbuk is less a ghost haunting a house than an unwelcome lodger that has attached itself to a body. Its effects on the host are what give the term its meaning, since the spirit is understood to take over the person's speech and conduct.

Synonyms: spirits, ghosts