witch doctor

witch doc·tor

W w

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [wich dok-ter]
- /wɪtʃ ˈdɒk tər/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [wich dok-ter]
- /wɪtʃ ˈdɒk tər/

Definitions of witch doctor words

noun witch doctor a person in some societies who attempts to cure sickness and to exorcise evil spirits by the use of magic. 1
noun witch doctor shaman, spiritual healer 1
countable noun witch doctor A witch doctor is a person in some societies, for example in Africa, who is thought to have magic powers which can be used to heal people. 0
noun witch doctor a man in certain societies, esp preliterate ones, who appears to possess magical powers, used esp to cure sickness but also to harm people 0
noun witch doctor a person who seeks out or hunts witches in some African tribal cultures 0
noun witch doctor in certain primitive societies, a person supposed to have the power of curing disease, warding off evil, etc. through the use of sorcery, incantations, etc. 0

See all 6 definitions of witch doctor

Information block about the term

Origin of witch doctor

First appearance:

before 1710

One of the 50% oldest English words

First recorded in 1710-20

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Witch doctor

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Witch doctor

witch doctor popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 34% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 67% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

witch doctor usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for witch doctor

noun witch doctor

diabolist — Theology. action aided or caused by the devil; sorcery; witchcraft. the character or condition of a devil. a doctrine concerning devils. a belief in or worship of devils.
faith healer — healing effected through prayer or religious faith; divine healing.
faith-healer — healing effected through prayer or religious faith; divine healing.
idolater — Also, idolist [ahyd-l-ist] /ˈaɪd l ɪst/ (Show IPA). a worshiper of idols.
illusionist — a conjurer or magician who creates illusions, as by sleight of hand.

All 13 Synonyms of witch doctor