Witch

wich, n. a woman regarded as having supernatural or magical power and knowledge through compact with the devil or some minor evil spirit: a hag, crone: ( coll. ) a fascinating young girl: ( Shak. ) a wizard.— v.t. to bewitch, to effect by means of witchcraft.— ns. Witch′craft , the craft or practice of witches: the black art, sorcery: supernatural power; Witch′-doc′tor , a medicine-man; Witch′ery , witchcraft: fascination; Witch′es'-broom , a popular name for the broom-like tufts of branches developed on the silver-fir, birch, cherry, . by means of an uredine ous fungus; Witch′es'-but′ter , a dark-brown fungus (see Nostoc ); Witch′es'-thim′ble , the sea-campion; Witch′-find′er , one whose busine was to detect witches.— adj. Witch′ing , weird: fascinating.— adv. Witch′ingly .— ns. Witch′-knot , a knot, esp. in the hair, tied by means of witchcraft; Witch′-meal , the inflammable pollen of the club-mo .— adj. Witch′-ridd′en , ridden by witches.— n. Witch′-wife , a woman who practises witchcraft. [M. E. wicche (both masc. and fem.)—A.S. wicca (masc.), wicce (fem.), wizard, witch; prob. reduced from wíteg a , wítig a , witga , a seer (Old High Ger. wīzago )—a supposed adj. wítig , seeing— wítan , to see, allied to witan , to know. For the change, cf. Orchard —A.S. ortgeard . Cf. Wit and Wicked .]