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orisha

British  
/ əˈrɪʃə /

noun

  1. any of the minor gods or spirits of traditional Yoruba religion and its S American and Caribbean offshoots such as Santeria and Candomblé

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of orisha

from Yoruba orisha and the Portuguese spelling orixá

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The offering was for Ochún: the Lucumí orisha, or deity of fresh water, luxury, love, beauty and sweet things.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 2, 2025

This is appropriate for Yemaya, the Yoruban orisha, or spirit, of water and motherhood.

From New York Times Feb. 28, 2024

My identities — black, queer, nonbinary, pansexual, transfeminine, orisha, goddess, dance-educator, daughter, auntie, sister — all those play a huge part in my life.

From Seattle Times Aug. 23, 2019

This Bessie Award-winning interdisciplinary artist and writer unveils “Oba Qween Baba King Baba,” which is inspired by Whitson’s experience as a child of a preacher and as a current practitioner of the Yoruba orisha tradition.

From New York Times Mar. 21, 2019

Oshun tired of they eyes, the orisha eyes.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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