0 a spirit of a dead person believed by some to visit the living as a pale, almost transparent form of a person, animal, or other object --
1 like a ghost: --
A phantom coach is said to pass through the grounds of this house when there's a full moon.
humorous The phantom wine-drinker has been around (= an unknown person has been drinking the wine)!
Although she had to have her leg amputated, she still feels as though she's got a phantom limb.
They discovered it was a phantom organization set up for the processing of drug profits.
UK Although she grew bigger, she later discovered it was a phantom ( US false) pregnancy.
2 something that appears or seems to exist but is not real or is imagined --
We can complete it step by step however long the road is and it can't be completed however short the road is if you don't even mark your footprint.
We kunnen het stap voor stap voltooien, hoe lang de weg ook is en het kan niet worden voltooid, hoe kort de weg ook is, als je niet eens je voetafdruk markeert.