witch

English

/wɪtʃ/

noun
Definitions
  • A person who practices witchcraft; a woman or (now) man who practices witchcraft.
  • (derogatory) An ugly or unpleasant woman.
  • One who exercises more-than-common power of attraction; a charming or bewitching person.
  • One given to mischief, especially a woman or child.
  • (geometry) A certain curve of the third order, described by Maria Agnesi under the name versiera.
  • The stormy petrel.
  • Any of a number of flatfish:
  • The Indomalayan butterfly , of the family Lycaenidae.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wicche inherited from Old English ƿicce, wiċċe (sorceress, witch) derived from Proto-Germanic *wikkōną derived from Proto-Indo-European *wik-néh₂-, *weyk- (contain, separate, bend, curve, become equal, consecrate, wind, overcome, twist, exchange, choose, sacrifice, separate out, set aside as holy, fight, turn, revolve, weed out, envelop, hallow, swing, cull, conquer, divide, weave, make holy, yield).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*weyk-

Gloss

contain, separate, bend, curve, become equal, consecrate, wind, overcome, twist, exchange, choose, sacrifice, separate out, set aside as holy, fight, turn, revolve, weed out, envelop, hallow, swing, cull, conquer, divide, weave, make holy, yield

Concept
Semantic Field

Possession

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Kanji

織

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms