witchcraft
11witchcraft — /wich kraft , krahft /, n. 1. the art or practices of a witch; sorcery; magic. 2. magical influence; witchery. [bef. 950; ME wicchecraft, OE wiccecraeft. See WITCH, CRAFT] Syn. 1. See magic. * * * Introduction the exercise or invocation of… …
12witchcraft — A type of SORCERY involving the magical manipulation of supernormal forces through the casting of spells and the conjuring or invoking of spirits. Beliefs about witchcraft are universal, but there is no universal definition of witchcraft.… …
13Witchcraft — In the law of every European nation in the later Mid dle Ages and the Renaissance, witchcraft was a crime punishable by severe penalties, including death, and at certain specific times and places, a witch craze developed in which a significant …
14witchcraft — No topic in folklore has caused more argument than witchcraft. However, the work of historians over the past 30 years has disentangled various levels of meaning within the word itself, and analysed the social context for accusations. The… …
15Witchcraft — Wicca Wic ca (w[i^]k k[.a]), prop. n. [OE. wicche wizard, AS. wicce, fem., wicca, masc.; see also {witch} and {wicked}.] 1. A religion derived from pre Christian times, also called {Witchcraft}[4], which practices a benevolent reverence for… …
16WITCHCRAFT — a widespread system of BELIEFS and practices involving supernatural power and agencies thought to influence human affairs. It is generally distinguished from SORCERY and takes many FORMS in different CULTURES. Sometimes the conscious action of …
17Witchcraft — Shamans in many cultures are expected to combat users of malevolent magic, witches, or sorcerers or they may be suspected of being witches or sorcerers themselves. Obeah, for example, is commonly portrayed as the practice of witchcraft, but… …
18witchcraft — n. to practice witchcraft * * * [ wɪtʃkrɑːft] to practice witchcraft …
19Witchcraft — (1 Sam. 15:23; 2 Kings 9:22; 2 Chr. 33:6; Micah 5:12; Nahum 3:4; Gal. 5:20). In the popular sense of the word no mention is made either of witches or of witchcraft in Scripture. The witch of En dor (1 Sam. 28) was a necromancer, i.e., one… …
20witchcraft — Forbidden in the Deuteronomist Code (Deut. 18:10–11) but licensed by Manasseh (2 Kgs. 21:6). A woman who practises witchcraft is condemned to death (Exod. 22:18) in the ancient Book of the Covenant; this verse was until 1722 cited by English… …
