This idiom means to die, cease functioning, or abandon hope, often describing the final moment of life or the end of a machine or effort. It evokes the idea of a spirit leaving the body, suggesting irrevocable cessation. The phrase is used in medical, mechanical, or metaphorical contexts to denote finality, carrying a solemn or resigned tone. It reflects cultural associations of death with spiritual departure and the inevitability of endings, often used poetically or humorously for inanimate objects.

The phrase has roots in biblical language, specifically Job 14:10 (King James Version, 1611): ‘Man dieth, and giveth up the ghost.’ It appeared in Middle English by the 14th century, with William Langland’s *Piers Plowman* (1377) using it for death. William Shakespeare’s *Julius Caesar* (1599) popularized it: ‘Caesar’s spirit gives up the ghost.’ The idiom’s metaphorical use for machines or efforts grew in the 19th century, reflecting industrial contexts, as seen in Charles Dickens’ *A Tale of Two Cities* (1859). Its use in American English expanded in the 20th century, particularly for mechanical failures, and the phrase’s poetic imagery ensured its spread across English-speaking cultures.