spectral

adj — 3 senses

spectral

adj

/ˈspɛktɹəɫ/

Etymology From spectr(e) + -al.

1

Of, or pertaining to, spectres; ghostly.

The spectral chain-rattling and moans gave me the chills.
The day itself was miserably dull; a thick fog shut out the landscape, while a few of the nearer trees alone were visible, spreading out their thin spectral arms on the murky air.1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Marriage Morning”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 202:

1 more example

Agitated by a multitude of curious thoughts, I retired to my room, that night, prepared to encounter some new experience of a spectral character.1859 December 13, Charles Dickens, “The Ghost in Master B’s Room”, in Charles Dickens, editor, The Haunted House. The Extra Christmas Number of All the Year Round […], volume II, London: […] C[harles] Whiting, […], →OCLC, page 27, column 2:

Derived terms: Frölicher spectral sequence, Hodge-de Rham spectral sequence, nonspectral, spectral bat, spectrality, spectrally, spectralness, spectral owl, unspectral

spectral

adj

Etymology From spectr(um) + -al.

1

Of, or pertaining to, spectra; classified according to frequency or wavelength (of light, etc.).

2

On the spectrum; spectrumy.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.