witch

Pronunciation

• enPR: wĭch, IPA ^(key): /wɪtʃ/
• SAMPA: /wItS/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: which (in accents with the wine-whine merger)

Noun

Singular witch

Plural witches

A witch.

1. (countable) A woman who does witchcraft (magic) or has magical powers.

   Glenda the Good was a powerful witch in The Wizard of Oz.

2. (countable) A person of either sex (man or woman) who does witchcraft.
3. (countable) Someone who practice traditional British magic (witchcraft).
4. (countable) A Wiccan.

   I think she became a witch last year.

5. (countable) A person who practices black (evil) magic.

   Old books talk about witches selling their souls to the Devil.

6. (countable) (fiction) (folklore) A female demon or monster that looks like an old woman and often does harmful things to other people.

   The witch tried to eat Hansel and Gretel.

   The witch in the movie had green skin.

7. (countable) (by extension) (informal) A woman who is difficult to get allow with, or a bad woman.

   I hate my boss, she's a real witch.

Synonyms

• (magic woman) sorceress, enchantress
• (magic person) sorcerer, wizard, necromancer, magician
• (bad woman) bitch (offensive)

Related words

• witchcraft
• witch doctor
• warlock