night-mare

See also: nightmare

Middle English

Alternative forms

• nytmare, niȝt-mare, niȝthe-mare

Etymology

From Old English *nihtmare, equivalent to nighte +‎ mare.

Noun

night-mare (plural night-mares)

1. An evil spirit attacking men or horses at night.

Descendants

• English: nightmare
• Scots: nichtmare, nichtmeer

References

• “night-māre, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.