witch doctor

American  

noun

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

---

witch doctor British  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of witch doctor

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

In Namibia, “for a witch doctor to make a ruling on whether or not you are a witch, you have to pay him a lot of money,” Holtzhausen says.

From Scientific American • May 31, 2023

Paul Pogba reportedly told investigators the blackmailers aimed to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on French superstar Mbappé.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 5, 2022

Llegó el curanderooo — Tony was playing his summer mix, “Sacude,” and I had arrived just in time for my favorite part, when Tego Calderón announces himself as the healer, the witch doctor.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2021

Steinbeck said he got the hummingbird from a witch doctor, and wrote that it holds “just about all the magic there is in the world.”

From Washington Times • Jan. 29, 2020

“Please get me a witch doctor to cure me, Mama,” the words spilled out of my mouth unpremeditatedly.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane