Word Power Quiz: How Well Do You Know These Halloween Terms?
As nights lengthen and a chill sets in, the time is ripe to share scary stories. Create a spooky atmosphere with these Halloween words—if you dare!
Halloween Words Quiz
What does grimoire refer to?
A: Cup made from a skull
B: Book of magic spells
C: Haunted wardrobe
Answer: B—Book of magic spells
As in, “The dusty grimoire contained an incantation for revealing any unseen spirits in the room.”
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What does curdle refer to?
A: Turn mouldy
B: Bleed
C: Separate into lumps
Answer: C—Separate into lumps
As in, “Jamille interviewed village elders in the hopes of collecting some blood-curdling local ghost stories.”
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What does ephialtes refer to?
A: Madness
B: Nightmare
C: Clairvoyance
Answer: B—Nightmare
As in, “Although Fadil’s eyes were open, he was in the grips of an ephialtes.”
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What does samhain refer to?
A: Pagan festival that evolved into Halloween
B: Mischievous entity that inhabits dolls
C: Formal gathering of witches
Correct answer: A—Pagan festival that evolved into Halloween
As in, “Ancient Celts believed otherworldly beings could pass into this dimension during Samhain.”
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What does dullahan refer to?
A: Type of demon found in the Bible
B: Vampire leader
C: Headless horseman of Irish folklore
Answer: C—Headless horseman of Irish folklore
As in, “Legend has it that if the dullahan pauses his ride near a house, somebody there will die.”
What does shroud refer to?
A: Mummy’s coffin
B: Burial cloth
C: Seemingly bottomless pit
Answer: B—Burial cloth
As in, “The figure wore a shroud as it glided through the darkened passage.”
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What does baleful refer to?
A: Unnaturally pale
B: Terrified and inconsolable
C: Threatening evil
Answer: C—Threatening evil
As in, “The vampire’s baleful eyes settled on the neck of her neck victim.”
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What does dirge refer to?
A: Mournful song
B: Dagger used in rituals
C: Werewolf in a human state
Answer: A—Mournful song
As in, “A dirge sounded from the organ, but there was no player in sight.”
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What does harbinger refer to?
A: Decorative tombstone statue
B: Obsessive horror-movie fan
C: Something that signals a future event
Answer: C—Something that signals a future event
As in, “Some consider sightings of the Mothman—a large, winged red-eyed creature—to be harbingers of disaster.”
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What does phantasm refer to?
A: Illusion or ghost
B: Malicious spirit
C: Misguided wish
Answer: A—Illusion or ghost
As in, “A phantasm appeared on the waves when the fog took the shape of a sailing ship.”
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What does eldritch refer to?
A: Weird and frightening
B: Ancient
C: In disrepair
Answer: A—Weird and frightening
As in, “It was impossible to pinpoint the source of the eldritch cackling heard throughout the house.”
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What does caliginous refer to?
A: Dark and misty
B: Zombified
C: Causing spine tingles
Answer: A—Dark and misty
As in, “On that caliginous evening, it was easy for Marlo to lose his way in the woods.”
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What does astral refer to?
A: Fated
B: Of a supposed non-physical realm of existence
C: Taking place at nighttime
Answer: B—Of a supposed non-physical realm
As in, “The clairvoyant said she would create a bridge between the seance participants and the astral plane.”
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What does triskaidekaphobia refer to?
Fear of:
A: Curses
B: The number 13
C: Coincidences
Answer: B—Fear of the number 13
As in, “Kia’s triskaidekaphobia had her on edge on the 13th of each month.”
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What does revenant refer to?
A: Witch’s pet black cat
B: Eerie sense of déjà vu
C: Person returned from the dead
Answer: C—Person returned from the dead
As in, “The revenant looked like a regular man except for his unblinking eyes.”
If you aced this Halloween words quiz, you won’t want to miss our countdown of most haunted places in Canada.
