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

Example Sentences

What I remember about “Grey’s” — I was that girl that people would say, “Can you play like a witch doctor on Monday?” or “Can you have this weird disease?”

From Los Angeles Times

A visit to a witch doctor only makes things worse for him and, most tragically, his dog.

From New York Times

Finley considers hiring a witch doctor to “burn sage in the clubhouse.”

From Los Angeles Times

“To survive a witch-hunt accusation, you have to pay. The witch doctors are all rich people—and the witch doctors are almost all men.”

From Scientific American

Cuco tracks were found along the path, with droplets of blood confirmed by the local witch doctor to be a match for the victim.

From Literature