necromancer
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of necromancer
First recorded in 1540–50; equivalent to necromanc(y) ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Necromancer is a fancy word for a magician. A necromancer might mix up a love potion or cast a spell on your mortal enemy. You can use the noun necromancer when you talk about a sorcerer of any kind, but it most often refers to someone who can communicate with the dead. Your cousin who has good luck contacting spirits through her Ouija board might be an aspiring necromancer. For many people, the word has a dark, scary connotation, or a connection with black magic. The Greek word at the root of necromancer is nekromanteia, which joins nekros , "dead body," with manteia, "divination."
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.
During the showcase, Blizzard showed off the game’s couch co-op capability and introduced the fifth and final class: the Necromancer.
From The Verge • Jun. 12, 2022
Mother has a secret edge, however; she is a reconfigured Necromancer, a robotic W.M.D. who can morph into a gilded Art Deco figure like something from “Metropolis.”
From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2022
Since the last Sherlock episode aired, Martin Freeman has starred in two of Peter Jackson's successful Hobbit films as Bilbo Baggins, while Cumberbatch provided the voice of Smaug the dragon and the Necromancer.
From BBC • Jan. 1, 2014
Nor does it make any sense, since Sauron the Necromancer who devised it is not even aware the Ring has been found, let alone that it still exists.
From Forbes • Dec. 16, 2013
"The Necromancer, written by Master Skelton, Laureate," came from the press in 1504, having been played before the King at Woodstock on Palm Sunday.
From Shakespeare: His Life, Art, And Characters, Volume I. With An Historical Sketch Of The Origin And Growth Of The Drama In England by Hudson, Henry Norman
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.
