witch doctor

noun

1. a person in some societies who attempts to cure sickness and to exorcise evil spirits by the use of magic.

witch doctor

noun

1. Also called: shaman.  medicine man. a man in certain societies, esp preliterate ones, who appears to possess magical powers, used esp to cure sickness but also to harm people

2. a person who seeks out or hunts witches in some African tribal cultures

Word History and Origins

Origin of witch doctor¹

First recorded in 1710–20