witch (redirected from witches)

witch  (wch)

n.

1. A woman claiming or popularly believed to possess magical powers and practice sorcery.

2. A believer or follower of Wicca; a Wiccan.

3. A hag.

4. A woman considered to be spiteful or overbearing.

5. Informal A woman or girl considered bewitching.

6. One particularly skilled or competent at one's craft: "A witch of a writer, [she] is capable of developing an intensity that verges on ferocity" (Peter S. Prescott).

v. witched, witch·ing, witch·es

v.tr.

1. To work or cast a spell on; bewitch.

2. To cause, bring, or effect by witchcraft.

v.intr.

To use a divining rod to find underground water or minerals; dowse.

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[Middle English wicche, from Old English wicce, witch, and wicca, wizard, sorcerer; see weg- in Indo-European roots.]

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witcher·y (--r) n.

witchy adj.

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witch¹

n

1. (Spirituality, New Age, Astrology & Self-help / Alternative Belief Systems) a person, usually female, who practises or professes to practise magic or sorcery, esp black magic, or is believed to have dealings with the devil

2. an ugly or wicked old woman

3. a fascinating or enchanting woman

4. (Spirituality, New Age, Astrology & Self-help / Alternative Belief Systems) short for water witch

vb

1. (Spirituality, New Age, Astrology & Self-help / Alternative Belief Systems) (tr) to cause or change by or as if by witchcraft

2. a less common word for bewitch

[Old English wicca; related to Middle Low German wicken to conjure, Swedish vicka to move to and fro]

witchlike  adj

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witch²

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) a flatfish, Pleuronectes (or Glyptocephalus) cynoglossus, of N Atlantic coastal waters, having a narrow greyish-brown body marked with tiny black spots: family Pleuronectidae (plaice, flounders, etc.)

[perhaps from witch¹, alluding to the appearance of the fish]

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witch

• troll - Originally a witch or sorceress.
• fly-by-night - Said to be an old term of reproach to a woman signifying that she was a witch, and was extended to "anyone who departs hastily from a recent activity," especially while owing money.
• hag - First meant "witch."
• witch - In Old English, it was actually wicca and originally (c. 890) was a man who practiced magic or sorcery, who we now call a wizard; by the year 1000, witch came to be defined as "a female magician or sorceress."

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	witch - a female sorcerer or magician enchantress occultist - a believer in occultism; someone versed in the occult arts
	2.	witch - a being (usually female) imagined to have special powers derived from the devil coven - an assembly of witches; usually 13 witches imaginary being, imaginary creature - a creature of the imagination; a person that exists only in legends or myths or fiction pythoness - a witch with powers of divination warlock - a male witch or demon
	3.	witch - a believer in Wicca Wiccan pagan - a person who follows a polytheistic or pre-Christian religion (not a Christian or Muslim or Jew)
	4.	witch - an ugly evil-looking old woman       beldam, beldame, crone, hag old woman - a woman who is old
Verb	1.	witch - cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something glamour, hex, jinx, bewitch, enchant voodoo - bewitch by or as if by a voodoo spell - place under a spell becharm, charm - control by magic spells, as by practicing witchcraft

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witch

noun enchantress, magician, hag, crone, occultist, sorceress, Wiccan, necromancer am evil witch who had cast a spell on the prince

Quotations
"witch: (1) An ugly and repulsive old woman, in a wicked league with the devil. (2) A beautiful and attractive young woman, in wickedness a league beyond the devil" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]

Translations

witch [wɪtʃ]

A. N → bruja f

B. CPD witch doctor N → hechicero m
witch hazel N → olmo m escocés
witch hunt N → caza f de brujas

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witch [ˈwɪtʃ] n → sorcière f

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witch

n (lit, fig) → Hexe f

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witch:

witchcraft

n → Hexerei f, → Zauberei f; a book on witch → ein Buch über (die) Hexenkunst

witch doctor

n → Medizinmann m

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witch [wɪtʃ] n → strega

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witch

n witch [witʃ]

a woman who is supposed to have powers of magic, usually through working with the devil. heks ساحِرَه вещица čarodějnice heks die Hexe μάγισσα bruja nõid ساحره noita sorcière מַכשֵפָּה डायन vještica boszorkány penyihir galdranorn strega 魔女 마녀 ragana ragana ahli sihir perempuan heks heks czarownica bruxa vrăjitoare ведьма čarodejnica, bosorka čarovnica veštica häxa, trollpacka แม่มด büyücü kadın, cadı 女巫 ворожка; відьма جادو گرنی mụ phù thủy 女巫

n witchcraft

magic practised by a witch etc. heksery سِحْر، عِرافَه магъосничество čarodějnictví hekseri die Hexerei μαγεία brujería nõidus جادو گرى noituus sorcellerie כְּשָפִים, כִּישוּף जादू-टोना čarolija, čini boszorkányság ilmu sihir galdrar stregoneria 魔法 마법 burtai, kerai buršana ilmu sihir tovenarij trolldom, hekseri czary bruxaria vrăjitorie колдовство čarodejníctvo, bosoráctvo, mágia čarovnija veštičarenje trolldom, häxeri การใช้เวทมนตร์คาถา büyücülük 巫術 чари; чаклунство جادو yêu thuật 巫术

n witch-doctor

in some African tribes, a person whose profession is to cure illness and keep away evil magical influences. toordokter طَبيب ساحِر шаман kouzelník heksedoktor der Medizinmann μάγος hechicero posija جادو گر و طبيب poppamies sorcier רוֹפֵא אֶלִיל ओझा čarobnjak, vrač ördögűző dukun galdralæknir stregone まじない師 (미개 사회의) 주술사, 마법사 raganius, žynys burvis; pūšļotājs ahli sihir lelaki; dukun; pawang medicijnman heksedoktor czarownik, znachor curandeiro vraci шаман medicinman; šaman; prírodný liečiteľ vrač vrač medicinman หมอผีในแอฟริกา kabile büyücüsü 巫醫 чаклун, знахар جادو گر pháp sư; thầy mo 巫医

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witch → ساحرة čarodějnice heks Hexe μάγισσα bruja, brujo noita sorcière vještica strega 魔女 마녀 heks heks czarodziejka bruxa ведьма häxa แม่มด cadı mụ phù thủy 巫婆