A wraith is an apparition of a person, living or dead, that may appear shortly before or after death. The appearance of a wraith is often considered to be an omen.

The word "wraith" is first attested in 1513, with the meaning of "ghost or spectre" (that is, an apparition of a living or once-living being, possibly as a portent of death). In 18th century Scotland it was applied to aquatic spirits. Over time, it came to be used in a metaphoric sense to refer to wraith-like things, and to portents in general.

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