— haunter , n.
/hawnt, hahnt/ ; for 10 also /hant/ , v.t.
1. to visit habitually or appear to frequently as a spirit or ghost: to haunt a house; to haunt a person.
2. to recur persistently to the consciousness of; remain with: Memories of love haunted him.
3. to visit frequently; go to often: He haunted the galleries and bars that the artists went to.
4. to frequent the company of; be often with: He haunted famous men, hoping to gain celebrity for himself.
5. to disturb or distress; cause to have anxiety; trouble; worry: His youthful escapades came back to haunt him.
v.i.
6. to reappear continually as a spirit or ghost.
7. to visit habitually or regularly.
8. to remain persistently; loiter; stay; linger.
n.
9. Often, haunts . a place frequently visited: to return to one's old haunts.
10. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. and North Eng. a ghost.
[ 1200-50; ME haunten hanter to frequent, prob. heimta to lead home, deriv. of heim homewards; see HOME ]
Syn. 3. frequent. 5. obsess, beset, vex, plague.