sorcerer

[sawr-ser-er]

See more synonyms for sorcerer on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who practices sorcery; black magician; wizard.

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 formsun·der·sor·cer·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sorcerer

Contemporary Examples

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
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

Historical Examples

Only once did a sorcerer succeed in wounding Notscha in the left arm.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
In the course of time one of his pupils insulted the sorcerer.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
And now when it was too late, the soldiers realized that the sorcerer had tricked them.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
The latter, however, feared that the sorcerer might make himself invisible.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
It must have been at the second watch of the night and the sorcerer had not yet come back.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various

British Dictionary definitions for sorcerer

sorcerer

feminine sorceress (ˈsɔːsərɪs)

noun

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

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for sorcerer

n.

early 15c., from earlier sorcer (late 14c.), from Old French sorcier, from Medieval Latin sortarius "teller of fortunes by lot; sorcerer" (also source of Spanish sortero, Italian sortiere-; see sorcery). With superfluous -er, as in poulterer, upholsterer. Sorcerer's apprentice translates l'apprenti sorcier, title of a symphonic poem by Paul Dukas (1897) based on a Goethe ballad ("Der Zauberlehrling," 1797), but the common figurative use of the term (1952) comes after Disney's "Fantasia" (1940).

sorcerer

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}sorcerer

Examples from the Web for sorcerer

Contemporary Examples

America was like a “sorcerer,” he said, holding other nations under its powerful spell to keep them from supporting the rebels.

Early in the year, Hagrid brings a package to Hogwarts, the Sorcerer's Stone, which grants immortality.

Historical Examples

Only once did a sorcerer succeed in wounding Notscha in the left arm.

In the course of time one of his pupils insulted the sorcerer.

And now when it was too late, the soldiers realized that the sorcerer had tricked them.

The latter, however, feared that the sorcerer might make himself invisible.

It must have been at the second watch of the night and the sorcerer had not yet come back.

sorcerer

feminine sorceress (ˈsɔːsərɪs)

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for sorcerer

n.

Origin of sorcerer