banshie

Banshie is a variant spelling of banshee, a female spirit in Irish and Scottish folklore whose wailing supposedly foretells a death in the family.

The cry of the banshie is traditionally heard at night, an omen that someone close is about to die.

In broader use, banshie describes any loud, wailing sound or a person making such a sound: She screamed like a banshie when she saw the spider.