Geisterzug

German

Etymology

From Geist (“ghost”) +‎ Zug (“train”). In the meaning "Cologne carnival parade", the second component is short for Umzug (“parade”).

Noun

Geisterzug m (strong, genitive Geisterzuges or Geisterzugs, plural Geisterzüge)

1. ghost train
2. alternative carnival parade in Cologne, Germany

Further reading

• “Geisterzug” in Duden online
• “Geisterzug” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache