Phrase guide

Wizard of Oz

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person, believed to have magical powers because of awe-inspiring displays, but, as ultimately revealed, ordinary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 2006 October 25, Joe Scarborough, interview with Bill Mahar, Scarborough Country, MSNBC I'm not one of these people that say, “Listen, we should bow down to the Wizard of Oz ’cause we don’t know what’s going on behind that curtain.”

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person simulating the operation of a supposed intelligent device, usually in an experiment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: attributive, usually

Topics: engineering, human-sciences, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences, social-science, social-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The name of a character from the 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, or any of its adaptations, about the journey of Dorothy through the magical Land of Oz in search of a way home.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: le Magicien d'Oz — the eponymous character
  • Polish: Czarnoksiężnik z Krainy Oz — the eponymous character
  • Turkish: Oz Büyücüsü — the eponymous character