bruja

American  

[broo-huh, broo-khah] / ˈbru hə, ˈbru xɑ /

noun

brujas plural

1. in Latin America and parts of the West Indies, a woman who practices Brujería, a form of witchcraft or traditional religion.

   Many in the town believe she is a bruja who uses her herbal cures for good.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• brujas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bruja

First recorded in 1825–35; from Spanish: “owl, witch,” of disputed origin; perhaps from a pre-Roman Celtic term relating to severe weather (akin to Catalan calabruix “hail”); alternatively, possibly distantly akin to Irish briosag “witch” or briocht “amulet, charm”; compare Aragonese broxa, Catalan bruixa, Gascon broucho, Occitan bruèissa, Portuguese bruxa

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bruja brujas

Lafayette is living with his warlock boyfriend Jesus, who prefers to be called a "bruja" because he is Mexican.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2011

Doctors can do little for the pangs of unlucky love, but any bruja worth her fee knows that a dried hummingbird pinned inside a girl's dress will usually bring back a strayed lover.

From Time Magazine Archive

But when the Yaqui recommended that he see a Puerto Rican bruja about a cure.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then we all got our things together and made our way downstairs to face the bruja.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

I heard them whispering at night that my uncle had been bewitched, a bruja had put a curse on him.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

Sharp lettering sits side-by-side with jovial illustrations of cannons, sombreros and brujas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

But are these friends letting their own fear infect each other, or is it the brujas, because that’s an important distinction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2023

There’s also plenty of space for midwives, satanists, sex workers, and the wise brujas holding court at local botánicas.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 5, 2017

True Blood "True Blood" recap 4x1: Of fairies, brujas, and "Office Space" Do you remember the first season of "True Blood?"

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2011

“Do you know the grove of trees where Lucas saw the brujas dance?”

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya