1 witch | Definition of witch

witch

noun
\ ˈwich How to pronounce witch (audio) \

Definition of witch

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers especially : a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar : sorceress — compare warlock
2 : an ugly old woman : hag
3 : a charming or alluring girl or woman
4 : an adherent of Wicca

witch

verb
witched; witching; witches

Definition of witch (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to affect injuriously with witchcraft
2 archaic : to influence or beguile with allure or charm

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Other Words from witch

Noun

witchlike \ ˈwich-​ËŒlÄ«k How to pronounce witchlike (audio) \ adjective
witchy \ ˈwi-​chÄ“ How to pronounce witchy (audio) \ adjective

Examples of witch in a Sentence

Noun

an herbalist and self-proclaimed witch Her mother-in-law is a bitter old witch.

Verb

the woman did witch me with her gentle smile
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Wizards and witches can get down to dancing at this Harry Potter themed costume party. Anchorage Daily News, "Autumn activities are back: Fungus fair, fall harvest tea and moose madness," 5 Sep. 2019 Wicked: The hit musical about the witches of Oz returns. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, "San Jose calendar of events for the week of Aug. 30," 30 Aug. 2019 Chloe x Halle's Halle Bailey will play Ariel, and Melissa McCarthy was recently announced as the evil sea witch Ursula. Taylor Weatherby, Billboard, "Billy Eichner Volunteers to Play Prince Eric in 'Little Mermaid' After Harry Styles Passes: 'I'm Ready'," 14 Aug. 2019 Scaramucci drew a parallel between Republican supporters of Trump to soldiers in the movie who had previously protected the witch. oregonlive.com, "Scaramucci says GOP should consider replacing Trump on 2020 ticket," 12 Aug. 2019 Word has it that the witches can do away with wealthy relatives by means of the dark arts, but as the bodies mount up, Mark is certain there has to be a rational explanation. Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Kaya Scodelario, Rufus Sewell Cast in Amazon, BBC Agatha Christie Adaptation 'Pale Horse'," 30 July 2019 Muggles, marauders, witches, and wizards in grades K through 12 are welcome. chicagotribune.com, "Calendar: Celebrate Harry Potter's birthday Wednesday in Lake Forest," 23 July 2019 There's even a video of herself dressed as the sea witch. Alexis Jones, Harper's BAZAAR, "Everything We Know About the New Little Mermaid Starring Halle Bailey," 19 July 2019 Rachel Finley does it in two roles, as the unnerving leader of the three witches and as Lady Macduff, who fails to heed warnings of the doom heading for her and her children. sun-sentinel.com, "Review: A dark and earnest ‘Macbeth’ from New City Players," 16 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Investors are warned that volatility can increase during a quadruple witching as traders adjust their positions. The New York Times, New York Times, "Expect Fed to Raise Interest Rate and F.C.C. to Repeal Net Neutrality," 10 Dec. 2017 Those include Agni's Philosophy and Witch Chapter 0 [cry], the latter of which used bleeding-edge software and hardware in the form of DirectX 12, an eight-core Intel processor, and four Nvidia Titan X graphics cards. Mark Walton, Ars Technica, "Final Fantasy 15 on PC: Has Square Enix lost its way, or do graphics really matter?," 25 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'witch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of witch

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for witch

Noun

Middle English wicche, from Old English wicca, masculine, wizard & wicce, feminine, witch; akin to Middle High German wicken to bewitch, Old English wigle divination, and perhaps to Old High German wīh holy — more at victim

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More Definitions for witch

witch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of witch

: a woman who is thought to have magic powers
: a person who practices magic as part of a religion (such as Wicca)
informal : a very unpleasant woman

witch

noun
\ ˈwich How to pronounce witch (audio) \

Kids Definition of witch

1 : a person and especially a woman believed to have magic powers
2 : an ugly or mean old woman