be·witch

[bih-wich]
verb (used with object)
1.
to affect by witchcraft or magic; cast a spell over.
2.
to enchant; charm; fascinate.

Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English biwicchen. See be-, witch

be·witch·er, noun
be·witch·er·y, noun
be·witch·ing·ness, noun
be·witch·ment, noun
un·be·witched, adjective


2. captivate, enrapture, transport.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
bewitch (bɪˈwɪtʃ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to attract and fascinate; enchant
2.  to cast a spell over
 
[C13 bewicchen; see be-, witch]
 
be'witching
 
adj
 
be'witchingly
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Bewitch is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
to spend time idly; loaf.
to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bewitch
c.1200, biwicchen, from be- + O.E. wiccian "to enchant, to practice witchcraft" (see witch). Literal at first, figurative sense of "to fascinate" is from 1520s. *Bewiccian may well have existed in O.E., but it is not attested. Related: Bewitching.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
At its highest level, wine can bewitch and bewilder, transfix and inspire.
When ripe and ready to eat, the pear has a honeyed flavor and beckoning perfume that bewitch your senses.
She continued to bewitch, bullying her at times reluctant acolytes with a maddening form of mystical dominion.
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