ghastness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡæs(t)nəs/
- /ˈɡɑːs(t)nəs/
Etymology
From Middle English gastnes, gastnesse, from gast, past participle of gasten (“to terrify”), equivalent to ghast + -ness.
Meanings
-
(archaic, uncountable) Amazement; terror; fright; fear.
Look you pale, mistress?―Do you perceive the ghastness of her eye?
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gastness | alternative | lexicographic |