curandero

American  

[koo-rahn-de-raw, koor-uhn-dair-oh] / ˌku rɑnˈdɛ rɔ, ˌkʊər ənˈdɛər oʊ /

noun

Spanish.

plural

curanderos

1. a folk healer or medicine man who uses herbs or hallucinogenic plants, magic, and spiritualism to treat illness, induce visions, impart traditional wisdom, etc.

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Example Sentences

It tells the story of her grandfather Rafael Contreras Alfonso, or Nono, a Colombian curandero, or healer, who had magical gifts that he passed down to Rojas Contreras and her mother.

From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2022

When I told Colombians and other South Americans that my grandfather was a curandero, I often received a story back: “Oh, my grandma used to say this,” or “In my family we do this.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2022

She sought guidance from a curandero, a healer, who did a spiritual cleanse and diagnosed her with “pérdida de espíritu,” or “loss of spirit.”

From New York Times • Oct. 12, 2021

“I’m working on the movie La Llorona and am looking for a curandero to do limpias before my movie screenings,” publicist Nahir Wold wrote San Diego-based curandera Grace Sesma in an email.

From Washington Times • Apr. 19, 2019

The contents of Abuelita’s bulto looked like it may have belonged to El Niño Fidencio, the famous curandero of olden times, and I watched in awe as she sorted the ingredients for Pita’s treatment.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall