spectre
noun UK (US specter) uk/ˈspek.tər/ us/ˈspek.tɚ/
the spectre of something 对于…的恐惧(或忧虑)
the idea of something unpleasant that might happen in the future
The awful spectre of civil war looms over the country. 内战的阴云笼罩着全国。
Drought and war have raised the spectre of food shortages for up to 24 million African people. 干旱和战争引起了2400万非洲人民对于食品短缺的恐惧。
[ C ] literary幽灵;鬼魂
a ghost