alastor

noun

"alastor" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“alastor” is uncommon English (frequency #87,010 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,010
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An avenging spirit or deity, variously associated with the Erinyes, Nemesis, and more.

Corpus desk

Index EN-alastor · alastor · English

alastor · rank #87,010 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,010
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ajo

Nearest frequency peer: Ajo (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “alastor”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “alastor” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for alastor
PropertyValue
Headwordalastor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters7
Frequency rank#87,010
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “alastor” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).alastorfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Ajo” (#87,009), “Aln” (#87,011), “aminotransferase” (#87,014). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “alastor” is #87,010. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

alastor is uncommon English at frequency #87,010 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

alastor has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἀλάστωρ (alástōr). The correct English form is alastor, spelled A-L-A-S-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An avenging spirit or deity, variously associated with the Erinyes, Nemesis, and more.
  2. 2
    In more recent ages, a term of rebuke for a pestilent rascal.
  3. 3
    A genus of hunting wasp

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how alastor appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Dog, leave thy snarling, or I'll cut thy tongue out ! Thou unlick'd bear, dar'st thou yet stand my fury, My generous rage? yet? By the sulphureous damps That feed the hungry and incessant darkness, Which curls around the grim Alastor's back, Mutter again, and with one powerful word, I'll call an host up from the Stygian lakes, Shall waft thee to the Acher…
  2. 1852 James Orton: "Excelsior" or "The Realms of Poesie by Alastor". Private publication printed by William Pickering, London James Orton's choice of "Alastor" seems to have been an ironic pen name, suggesting a presumptuous voice.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀλάστωρ (alástōr).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "alastor"?
"alastor" is spelled A-L-A-S-T-O-R.
What does "alastor" mean?
As a noun, "alastor" means: An avenging spirit or deity, variously associated with the Erinyes, Nemesis, and more.
What is the origin of the word "alastor"?
From Ancient Greek ἀλάστωρ (alástōr). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "alastor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list