6  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Witch  \Witch\,  n.  [Cf.  {Wick}  of  a  lamp.] 
  A  cone  of  paper  which  is  placed  in  a  vessel  of  lard  or  other 
  fat,  and  used  as  a  taper.  [Prov.  Eng.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Witch  \Witch\,  n.  [OE.  wicche,  AS  wicce,  fem.,  wicca,  masc.; 
  perhaps  the  same  word  as  AS  w[=i]tiga,  w[=i]tga,  a 
  soothsayer  (cf.  {Wiseacre});  cf  Fries.  wikke,  a  witch,  LG 
  wikken  to  predict,  Icel.  vitki  a  wizard,  vitka  to  bewitch.] 
  1.  One  who  practices  the  black  art,  or  magic;  one  regarded  as 
  possessing  supernatural  or  magical  power  by  compact  with 
  an  evil  spirit,  esp.  with  the  Devil;  a  sorcerer  or 
  sorceress;  --  now  applied  chiefly  or  only  to  women,  but 
  formerly  used  of  men  as  well 
 
  There  was  a  man  in  that  city  whose  name  was  Simon,  a 
  witch.  --Wyclif  (Acts 
  viii.  9). 
 
  He  can  not  abide  the  old  woman  of  Brentford;  he 
  swears  she's  a  witch.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  An  ugly  old  woman;  a  hag.  --Shak. 
 
  3.  One  who  exercises  more  than  common  power  of  attraction;  a 
  charming  or  bewitching  person;  also  one  given  to 
  mischief;  --  said  especially  of  a  woman  or  child. 
  [Colloq.] 
 
  4.  (Geom.)  A  certain  curve  of  the  third  order  described  by 
  Maria  Agnesi  under  the  name  versiera 
 
  5.  (Zo["o]l.)  The  stormy  petrel. 
 
  {Witch  balls},  a  name  applied  to  the  interwoven  rolling 
  masses  of  the  stems  of  herbs,  which  are  driven  by  the 
  winds  over  the  steppes  of  Tartary.  Cf  {Tumbleweed}. 
  --Maunder  (Treas.  of  Bot.) 
 
  {Witches'  besoms}  (Bot.),  tufted  and  distorted  branches  of 
  the  silver  fir,  caused  by  the  attack  of  some  fungus. 
  --Maunder  (Treas.  of  Bot.) 
 
  {Witches'  butter}  (Bot.),  a  name  of  several  gelatinous 
  cryptogamous  plants,  as  {Nostoc  commune},  and  {Exidia 
  glandulosa}.  See  {Nostoc}. 
 
  {Witch  grass}  (Bot.),  a  kind  of  grass  ({Panicum  capillare}) 
  with  minute  spikelets  on  long,  slender  pedicels  forming  a 
  light,  open  panicle. 
 
  {Witch  meal}  (Bot.),  vegetable  sulphur.  See  under 
  {Vegetable}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Witch  \Witch\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Witched};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Witching}.]  [AS.  wiccian.] 
  To  bewitch;  to  fascinate;  to  enchant. 
 
  [I  'll]  witch  sweet  ladies  with  my  words  and  looks 
  --Shak. 
 
  Whether  within  us  or  without  The  spell  of  this  illusion 
  be  That  witches  us  to  hear  and  see  --Lowell. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  witch 
  n  1:  a  female  sorcerer  or  magician  [syn:  {enchantress}] 
  2:  a  being  (usually  female)  imagined  to  have  special  powers 
  derived  from  the  devil 
  3:  an  ugly  evil-looking  old  woman  [syn:  {hag},  {beldam},  {beldame}, 
  {crone}] 
  v  :  cast  a  spell  over  someone  or  something  put  a  hex  on  someone 
  or  something  [syn:  {hex},  {bewitch},  {glamour},  {enchant}, 
  {jinx}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Witch 
  Occurs  only  in  Ex  22:18,  as  the  rendering  of  _mekhashshepheh_, 
  the  feminine  form  of  the  word  meaning  enchantress"  (R.V., 
  "sorceress"),  and  in  Deut.  18:10,  as  the  rendering  of 
  _mekhashshepheth_,  the  masculine  form  of  the  word  meaning 
  "enchanter." 
 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  WITCH,  n.  (1)  Any  ugly  and  repulsive  old  woman,  in  a  wicked  league 
  with  the  devil.  (2)  A  beautiful  and  attractive  young  woman,  in 
  wickedness  a  league  beyond  the  devil. 
 
 

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