A ghoul is an evil demon, ghost, or fiend. On Halloween the kids dressed as fairies, storm troopers and pumpkins look cute. The ghouls, with blood dripping down their hyper pale faces, hair matted in knots? Not so much.
The word ghoul originates in the Arabic word “ghul,” which refers to an evil spirit that digs up graves and eats the dead. Some confuse ghoul with the word “gremlin,” but the two are not interchangeable. A gremlin does not gorge on the flesh of the dead; it is more a mischievous imp and troublemaker, famous for causing mechanical difficulties in World War II aircraft.
