obeah
Use Obeah in a sentence
bi noun
1.
a form of belief involving sorcery, practiced in parts of the West Indies, South America, the southern U.S., and Africa.
2.
a fetish or charm used in practicing obeah.
Also, obi.
Origin:
1750–60; compare Gullah, Jamaican English, Guyanan English, Sranan óbia magic, charm; < a West African language, though precise source unclear; compare Twi ɔ-bayifó sorcerer (compound with -fo person), Igbo díbìà folk healer (compound with dí- expert in)
1750–60; compare Gullah, Jamaican English, Guyanan English, Sranan óbia magic, charm; < a West African language, though precise source unclear; compare Twi ɔ-bayifó sorcerer (compound with -fo person), Igbo díbìà folk healer (compound with dí- expert in)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To obeah
Collins
00:10
Obeah
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
obi or obeah2 (ˈəʊbɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl obis, obeahs | |
| 1. | a kind of witchcraft originating in Africa and practised by some West Indians |
| 2. | a charm or amulet used in this |
| [of West African origin; compare Edo obi poison] | |
| obeah or obeah2 | |
| —n | |
| [of West African origin; compare Edo obi poison] | |
| 'obiism or obeah2 | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
obeah
"sorcery, witchcraft" among blacks in Africa and the W.Indies, 1760, from a W. African word, cf. Efik (southern Nigeria) ubio "a thing or mixture left as a charm to cause sickness or death," Twi ebayifo "witch, wizard, sorcerer."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
And you got to find out if anybody in she family ever practice obeah.
Nearby Words
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