Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A form of folk magic, medicine or witchcraft originating in Africa and practised in parts of the Caribbean.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A magician or witch doctor of the magic craft.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: mage, shaman, spellcaster, archmage, archmagician, bewitcher, charmer, conjurer, illusionist, Karcist, magic user, magus, obeah, sortileger, spellbinder, spellmaker, thaumaturge, theurgist, whizz, whiz, witch doctor, wiz, wonderworker
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A spell performed in the practice of the magic craft; an item associated with such a spell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: enchantment, makutu, wanga, cantrip, chantment, charm, craft, dwimmer, hex, incantation, magic, magic spell, mojo, obeah, pishogue, rune, spell, spellword
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To bewitch using this kind of folk magic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bewitch, enspell, hex, bechat, becry, beglammer, bespell, conjure, enchant, englamour, ensorcell, forspeak, glamour, jinx, maleficiate, mojo, spell, spellbind, spellcast, witch
noun
a religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery; practiced in parts of the West Indies and tropical Americas
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: obi
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cult, cultus, religious cult
noun
(West Indies) followers of a religious system involving witchcraft and sorcery
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: obi
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cult
History
Uncertain; apparently from a Caribbean creole, probably ultimately from a West African language. The Oxford English Dictionary points to Igbo abià (“knowledge, wisdom”), obìa (“doctor, healer”). Cognate of Aukan obiya, Saramaccan obia, and Sranan Tongo obia.
