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

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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

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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

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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

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

Women said, “Can you beat it, the bruja is knocking on our door once more.”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

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

And I also wondered, why doesn’t the priest fight against the evil of the brujas.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

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