Nearby Words

witch craft

[wich-kraft, -krahft] Origin

witch·craft

[wich-kraft, -krahft]
noun
1.
the art or practices of a witch; sorcery; magic.
2.
magical influence; witchery.

Origin:
before 950; Middle English wicchecraft, Old English wiccecræft. See witch, craft


1. See magic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Witch craft is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

witchcraft
O.E. wiccecræft, from wicce (see witch) + cræft "power, skill" (see craft). Witchcraft was first declared a crime in Eng. law in 1542; trials there peaked in 1580s and 1640s but fell sharply after 1660. The last, in 1717, ended in acquittal. The Witchcraft Act was repealed 1736.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

witchcraft definition


Popularly believed to be the practice of black magic. Witches are known today as followers of Wicca, a pagan nature religion with roots in pre-Christian western Europe. Wicca is now undergoing a revival, especially in the United States and Great Britain.

Note: Old misunderstandings and hysterical accusations have led to persecution of “witches,” most famously in the Salem witch trials of 1692.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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