Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Witch?

\Witch\, n. [Cf. {Wick} of a lamp.] A cone of paper which is placed in a vessel of lard or other fat, and used as a taper. [Prov. Eng.]
\Witch\, n. [OE. wicche, AS. wicce, fem., wicca, masc.; perhaps the same word as AS. w[=i]tiga, w[=i]tga, a soothsayer (cf. {Wiseacre}); cf. Fries. wikke, a witch, LG. wikken to predict, Icel. vitki a wizard, vitka to bewitch.] 1. One who practices the black art, or magic; one regarded as possessing supernatural or magical power by compact with an evil spirit, esp. with the Devil; a sorcerer or sorceress; -- now applied chiefly or only to women, but formerly used of men as well. There was a man in that city whose name was Simon, a witch. --Wyclif (Acts viii. 9). He can not abide the old woman of Brentford; he swears she's a witch. --Shak. 2. An ugly old woman; a hag. --Shak. 3. One who exercises more than common power of attraction; a charming or bewitching person; also, one given to mischief; -- said especially of a woman or child. [Colloq.] 4. (Geom.) A certain curve of the third order, described by Maria Agnesi under the name versiera. 5. (Zo["o]l.) The stormy petrel. {Witch balls}, a name applied to the interwoven rolling masses of the stems of herbs, which are driven by the winds over the steppes of Tartary. Cf. {Tumbleweed}. --Maunder (Treas. of Bot.) {Witches' besoms} (Bot.), tufted and distorted branches of the silver fir, caused by the attack of some fungus. --Maunder (Treas. of Bot.) {Witches' butter} (Bot.), a name of several gelatinous cryptogamous plants, as {Nostoc commune}, and {Exidia glandulosa}. See {Nostoc}. {Witch grass} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Panicum capillare}) with minute spikelets on long, slender pedicels forming a light, open panicle. {Witch meal} (Bot.), vegetable sulphur. See under {Vegetable}.
\Witch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Witched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Witching}.] [AS. wiccian.] To bewitch; to fascinate; to enchant. [I 'll] witch sweet ladies with my words and looks. --Shak. Whether within us or without The spell of this illusion be That witches us to hear and see. --Lowell.