witch

n. [ OE. wicche, AS. wicce, fem., wicca, masc.; perhaps the same word as AS. wītiga, wītga, a soothsayer (cf. Wiseacre); cf. Fries. wikke, a witch, LG. wikken to predict, Icel. vitki a wizard, vitka to bewitch. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

There was a man in that city whose name was Simon, a witch. Wyclif (Acts viii. 9). [ 1913 Webster ]

He can not abide the old woman of Brentford; he swears she's a witch. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An ugly old woman; a hag. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Geom.) A certain curve of the third order, described by Maria Agnesi under the name versiera. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Zool.) The stormy petrel. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A Wiccan; an adherent or practitioner of Wicca, a religion which in different forms may be paganistic and nature-oriented, or ditheistic. The term witch applies to both male and female adherents in this sense. [ PJC ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. witched p. pr. & vb. n. witching. ] [ AS. wiccian. ] To bewitch; to fascinate; to enchant. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ I 'll ] witch sweet ladies with my words and looks. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whether within us or without
The spell of this illusion be
That witches us to hear and see. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. wiccecræft. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The practices or art of witches. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: Sorcery; enchantments; intercourse with evil spirits. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

3. Power more than natural; irresistible influence. [ 1913 Webster ]

He hath a witchcraft
Over the king in 's tongue. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Adherence to or the practice of Wicca. In this sense the term does not necessarily include attempts at practice of magic, other than by prayers to the deities. [ PJC ]

n. (Bot.) See Wych-elm. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Witcheries 1. Sorcery; enchantment; witchcraft. [ 1913 Webster ]

Great Comus,
Deep skilled in all his mother's witcheries. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

A woman infamous . . . for witcheries. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fascination; irresistible influence; enchantment. [ 1913 Webster ]

He never felt
The witchery of the soft blue sky. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dear, dear witchery of song. Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Wych-elm, and Hazel. ] (Bot.) The wych-elm. (b) An American shrub or small tree (Hamamelis Virginica), which blossoms late in autumn. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That witches or enchants; suited to enchantment or witchcraft; bewitching. “The very witching time of night.” Shak. -- Witch"ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. The middle of the night, especially midnight. [ colloq. ] [ PJC ]