Mid 17th century; earliest use found in John Swan (bap. 1605, d. 1671), Church of England clergyman and encyclopaedist. From classical Latin phasma spectre, apparition or its etymon ancient Greek ϕάσμα spectre, apparition, phantom from ϕα-, ablaut variant of the stem of ϕαίνειν to show, to cause to appear + -σμα, extended form of -μα.