witch

[ wich ]

/ wɪtʃ /

See synonyms for: witch / witched / witches / witching on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person, now especially a woman, who professes or is supposed to practice magic or sorcery; a sorceress.Compare warlock.

a woman who is supposed to have evil or wicked magical powers: witches in black robes and pointed hats.

an ugly or mean old woman; hag: the old witch who used to own this building.

a person who uses a divining rod; dowser.

verb (used with object)

to bring by or as by witchcraft (often followed by into, to, etc.): She witched him into going.

Archaic. to affect as if by witchcraft; bewitch; charm.

verb (used without object)

to prospect with a divining rod; dowse.

adjective

of, relating to, or designed as protection against witches.

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Origin of witch

before 900; Middle English wicche,Old English wicce (feminine; compare wicca(masculine) wizard; see wicked)

OTHER WORDS FROM witch

witchhood, nounwitchlike, adjectiveun·der·witch, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

British Dictionary definitions for witch (1 of 3)

witch¹

/ (wɪtʃ) /

noun

historically, in mythology and fiction, a woman believed to practise magic or sorcery, esp black magic

a practitioner of a Nature-based religion founded on ancient beliefs, which honours both a male and female divine principle and includes the practice of magic, esp healing magic, and divination

informal, derogatory an ugly or wicked woman

a fascinating or enchanting woman

short for water witch

verb

(tr) to cause or change by or as if by witchcraft

a less common word for bewitch

Derived forms of witch

witchlike, adjective

Word Origin for witch

Old English wicca; related to Middle Low German wicken to conjure, Swedish vicka to move to and fro

British Dictionary definitions for witch (2 of 3)

witch²

/ (wɪtʃ) /

noun

a flatfish, Pleuronectes (or Glyptocephalus) cynoglossus, of N Atlantic coastal waters, having a narrow greyish-brown body marked with tiny black spots: family Pleuronectidae (plaice, flounders, etc)

Word Origin for witch

C19: perhaps from witch 1, alluding to the appearance of the fish

British Dictionary definitions for witch (3 of 3)

witch-

wych-

prefix

having pliant brancheswitchweed

Word Origin for witch-

Old English wice and wic; probably from Germanic wik- bend

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

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