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curandera

American  
[koo-rahn-de-rah, koor-uhn-dair-uh] / ˌku rɑnˈdɛ rɑ, ˌkʊər ənˈdɛər ə /

noun

Spanish.
  • curanderas
    plural
  1. a female folk healer or medicine woman who uses herbs or psychoactive plants, magic, and spiritualism to treat illness, induce visions, impart traditional wisdom, etc.; a female shaman.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Vocabulary lists containing curandera

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:

As the war escalates, a passionate relationship grows between Ximena, a talented Mexican curandera, and Riley, an Irish immigrant leading the battalion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2022

Gallo also said his grandmother, who was Yaqui indian, was a curandera — a neighborhood healer — who treated family members with native plants growing in her backyard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2019

Tonita Gonzales, an internationally known curandera based in Albuquerque, called the promotion an “outrage and an appropriation” of Mexican American culture.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 19, 2019

When Bri Luna started her website, the Hoodwitch, she intended to carry on the legacy of her grandmother, who was a curandera: a traditional spiritual healer from Mexico.

From New York Times ● Sep. 16, 2015

“Since when does a curandera need help to deal with dogs,” she retorted.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

April Mayes: “We need more professional, trained, educated people now we're going to call doctors instead of the curanderas and the curanderos.”

From Scientific American ● Sep. 28, 2023

The Times is exploring how curanderas help Southern Californians with their mental health, and we’d like to hear from you.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2022

One reason curanderas are popular is that they charge less than doctors.

From Time Magazine Archive

We had tried for nearly three years, visiting doctors and curanderas.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez

“You come from a long line of curanderas, healers of the people. Your Abuelita Remedies has been using her gift all her life. When the time comes, you’ll know exactly what to do with this.”

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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