banshee

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”). The term banshee entered English in 1771.

1. A female spirit, usually taking the form of a woman whose mournful wailing warns of an impending death.

   “Late had he heard, in prophet's dream, / The fatal Ben-Shie's boding scream […].”

2. A noisy or ill-tempered woman.

   “Where's this old banshee that runs the place?”