medicine man
Americannoun
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(among North American Indians and some other aboriginal peoples) a person believed to possess magical or supernatural powers; shaman.
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a seller of patent medicine, especially before 1900, presenting a medicine show to attract customers.
noun
Etymology
Origin of medicine man
First recorded in 1795–1805
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.
The Apache medicine man Geronimo made his now-legendary name leading raids and eluding capture during the Apache wars of the 19th century.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
His breakthrough came in 1990 when he played Kicking Bird, a Lakota medicine man, in Dances With Wolves.
From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025
As a young mother, Ms. Rabha was told by a local medicine man that her mentally ill son would soon die; he didn’t.
From New York Times • May 31, 2024
Since starring in the 1990 film, Chasing Horse had built a name for himself among tribes in the U.S. and Canada as a self-proclaimed medicine man.
From Seattle Times • May 9, 2023
The medicine man exerted tremendous power in the area, and many people both worshipped and feared him.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
