Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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 \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 \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.
Source : WordNet®
witch
v : cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone
or something [syn: {hex}, {bewitch}, {glamour}, {enchant},
{jinx}]
witch
n 1: a female sorcerer or magician [syn: {enchantress}]
2: a being (usually female) imagined to have special powers
derived from the devil
3: an ugly evil-looking old woman [syn: {hag}, {beldam}, {beldame},
{crone}]