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Glite Dictionary
zombi spirit

zombi spirit

9.9
A spirit in voodoo that makes a dead body come back to life
  • noun
  • /ˈzɑm.bi ˈspɪr.ɪt/
  • Literature
translation icon : espíritu zombi
  • According to Haitian folklore, a zombi spirit can possess the body of a deceased person.

Examples

  • Some rituals are believed to invoke a zombi spirit to reanimate the dead.

  • The legend of the zombi spirit has inspired many stories and films about the undead.

  • The ritual called upon a zombi spirit to return the deceased.

  • Many believe that a zombi spirit can possess the living.

  • According to Haitian folklore, a zombi spirit can possess the body of a deceased person.

  • Some rituals are believed to invoke a zombi spirit to reanimate the dead.

  • The ritual called upon a zombi spirit to return the deceased.

Synonyms

zombie spirit
vszombi spirit
  • Literature
9.9

A ghost believed to bring a dead body back to life

has identical meaning but uses an alternate spelling
zombi
vszombi spirit
  • Literature
9.9

A dead body brought back to life by magic that walks and attacks people

focuses only on the spirit causing reanimation rather than the revived body

Surface Forms

zombi spirit singular
zombi spirits plural

Morphology

zombi + spirit

The meaning is directly and compositionally derivable from 'zombi' (a corpse revived by supernatural means) + 'spirit' (an incorporeal being): together they denote a spirit associated with reanimating a corpse. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically plausible compound, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Zombi spirit comes from Haitian folk stories about a zombi or spirit that returns to a dead body and makes it move again. One popular story says ritual leaders would call this spirit to enter a dead body, so the phrase now means a spirit that 'brings the dead back to life' or a person who seems controlled by such a spirit.