wizard

American  

[wiz-erd] / ˈwɪz ərd /

noun

1. a person who practices magic; magician or sorcerer.

   Synonyms:

   diviner, thaumaturge, necromancer, enchanter

2. a conjurer or juggler.

3. Also whiz, wiz a person of amazing skill or accomplishment.

   a wizard at chemistry.

4. Computers. a software feature that guides users through complex procedures with step-by-step instructions, often presented in dialog boxes.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a wizard.

2. magic.

3. British Slang. superb; excellent; wonderful.

   That's wizard!

wizard British  

/ ˈwɪzəd /

noun

1. a male witch or a man who practises or professes to practise magic or sorcery

2. a person who is outstandingly clever in some specified field; expert

3. obsolete a wise man

4. computing a computer program that guides a user through a complex task

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adjective

1. informal superb; outstanding

2. of or relating to a wizard or wizardry

Other Word Forms

• wizardlike
  adjective
• wizardly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of wizard

First recorded in 1400–50, late Middle English wisard; see wise ¹, -ard

Explanation

A wizard is a kind of magician. A wise man who can perform magic spells in a fairy tale or fantasy novel is often described as a wizard. One of the most famous fictional wizards is Harry Potter, who first learns of his magical abilities when Hagrid says, "Harry — yer a wizard." Sometimes wizards are described as male versions of witches, while other stories use the term as a gender-neutral name for anyone with magical powers. Colloquially, you might call someone a wizard if they're truly amazing at what they do (even if it's not magic): "She's a wizard at dog training!"

Example Sentences

In short, though in my opinion no WIZARD, he is a very solid violin-player.—I do wish I could conquer my confounded habit of writing crooked.

From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Nohl, Ludwig

Related Words

• genius
• shark
• whiz