errand-ghost

noun

"errand-ghost" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“errand-ghost” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A spirit or spiritual messenger; an angel.

Corpus desk

Index EN-errand-ghost · errand-ghost · English

errand-ghost · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for errand-ghost
PropertyValue
Headworderrand-ghost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “errand-ghost” in English

errand-ghostsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

errand-ghost is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for errand-ghost, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From errand + ghost, a modern calque of Old English ǣrendgāst (“spiritual messenger, angel”). The correct English form is errand-ghost, spelled E-R-R-A-N-D---G-H-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A spirit or spiritual messenger; an angel.
  2. 2
    Any spirit or ghostly messenger.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Their simple directness of character may account for the well-nigh entire absence (as I said before) of all expression of religious hope. "God's Errand-Ghost," the Rider on the Pale Horse, has passed by that way, and one in the house — it may be the most loved of all, — is dead. There is no shirking of that bare truth, no attempt to soften it.
  2. If that was really insulting, please don't be offended. I certainly don't think of you as my errand-ghost. Actually, I think of you as my friend.

Etymology

From errand + ghost, a modern calque of Old English ǣrendgāst (“spiritual messenger, angel”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "errand-ghost"?
"errand-ghost" is spelled E-R-R-A-N-D---G-H-O-S-T.
What does "errand-ghost" mean?
As a noun, "errand-ghost" means: A spirit or spiritual messenger; an angel.
What is the origin of the word "errand-ghost"?
From errand + ghost, a modern calque of Old English ǣrendgāst (“spiritual messenger, angel”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list