sorcerer

[ sawr-ser-er ]

/ ˈsɔr sər ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sorcerer ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who practices sorcery; black magician; wizard.

Nearby words

sorbol, sorbonist, sorbonne, sorbose, sorbs, sorcerer, sorceress, sorcerous, sorcerously, sorcery, sord

Origin of sorcerer

1520–30; earlier sorcer, Middle English < Middle French sorcier, perhaps < Vulgar Latin *sortiārius one who casts lots, equivalent to Latin sort- (stem of sors) lot, fate + -i- -i- + -ārius -ier²; see -er¹

Related forms

un·der·sor·cer·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sorcerer

America was like a “sorcerer,” he said, holding other nations under its powerful spell to keep them from supporting the rebels.
Can the Syrian Rebels Unite?|Mike Giglio|November 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Early in the year, Hagrid brings a package to Hogwarts, the Sorcerer's Stone, which grants immortality.
Catch Up on Harry Potter: Watch 13 Key Moments|Alex Berg|November 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
So the sorcerer was brought, and he stood up in the council and looked from one to another.
Tales of Folk and Fairies|Katharine Pyle
He may meet them anywhere, but is especially apt to dog the footsteps of the sorcerer who killed him.
The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead, Volume I (of 3)|Sir James George Frazer

One old man, the sorcerer or medicine man of the tribe, peculiarly impressed me.
Canyons of the Colorado|J. W. Powell
Your mere wish shall be as a sorcerer's wand, to bring you the thing of your idlest desire.
Folle-Farine|Ouida
The sorcerer is outlawed, and betakes himself to the secret performance of unholy rites in dark and unwholesome circumstances.
The Origin of Man and of his Superstitions|Carveth Read

British Dictionary definitions for sorcerer

sorcerer

feminine sorceress (ˈsɔːsərɪs)

/ (ˈsɔːsərə) /

noun

a person who seeks to control and use magic powers; a wizard or magician

Word Origin for sorcerer

C16: from Old French sorcier, from Vulgar Latin sortiārius (unattested) caster of lots, from Latin sors lot

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012