wɪtʃ n. & v. --n. 1 a sorceress,
esp. a
woman supposed to
have dealings with the devil or
evil spirits. 2 an
ugly old woman; a hag. 3 a fascinating
girl or woman. 4 a flat-fish, Pleuronectes cynoglossus, resembling the
lemon sole. --v.tr.
archaic 1
bewitch. 2
fascinate,
charm, lure. øwitch-doctor a
tribal magician of
primitive people. witches'
sabbath see SABBATH 3. witch-hunt 1
hist. a
search for and persecution of supposed witches. 2 a
campaign directed
against a
particular group of
those holding unpopular or
unorthodox views, esp. communists. the witching
hour midnight,
when witches are
supposedly active (after Shakesp.
Hamlet III. ii. 377 the witching
time of night). øøwitching adj. witchlike adj. [OE wicca (masc.), wicce (fem.), rel. to wiccian (v.)
practise magic arts]