“Hansel and Gretel”

Cultural  

1. A story in the Grimm collection of fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel, two children abandoned in the woods, are befriended by a witch, who tries to cook and eat them, but Gretel shoves the witch into the oven instead.

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Example Sentences

‘Sugar Houses’ The dark, medieval origins of the classic fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” are explored in this hourlong dance-theater work from L.A.-based Rosanna Gamson/World Wide.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2021

Trick or Treat — Wandering witches and decorative rooms dominate this 19th century mansion on Hemlock Lane paying homage to the “Hansel and Gretel” mythology.

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2019

As a child, her family took her to see the opera “Hansel and Gretel” by composer Engelbert Humperdinck.

From Washington Post • Apr. 24, 2019

Although it uses “Hansel and Gretel” as a loose model, just as “Briar Rose” used “Sleeping Beauty,” the fantastical element operates mostly at the level of allusion, and the book unfolds as a historical novel.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 16, 2018

The stepmother from “Hansel and Gretel” sends her stepchildren into the woods because there isn’t enough to eat.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2017