Wordwyrt

bewitch

/bɪˈwɪtʃ/bih-WICH
/bɪˈwɪtʃ/bih-WICH

Meaningpractise witchcraft

Common meaning: enchant or captivate

Journey through time

  1. Old Englishwiccian‘practise witchcraft’source
  2. Middle Englishmeaning shiftspractise witchcraft → cast a spell onbewicchen‘cast a spell on’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftscast a spell on → enchant or captivatebewitch‘enchant or captivate’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old English wiccian ‘practise witchcraft’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry BEWITCH, p. 61 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • wiccian Old English “practise witchcraft”

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